


An Unlikely Doctor

by Ourea



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bathroom Sex, Bathtubs, Beautiful art gift at the end, Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Sex, F/M, Fanart, Fangifs, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Injury Recovery, Lots of tags but I think that's it?, Major Character Injury, Major Illness, Oral Sex, Romance, Seizures, Soft!Master, Suicidal Thoughts, Unlikely Doctor, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:29:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23123263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ourea/pseuds/Ourea
Summary: The universe needed the Doctor- that much he knew to be an absolute truth... The universe didn’t need him.
Relationships: The Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who), Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Dhawan)
Comments: 95
Kudos: 332





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I've never been so engrossed in writing a story to the point where I was jotting down notes onto my phone whilst out and about or at work! So I truly hope people enjoy this one! Major love and thanks to Zaffrin for pushing me with this story and being my guide and support when I needed her :)
> 
> Short-ish chapter to begin with, but don't worry- they'll get longer!
> 
> (This is set roughly after Series 11 but is a definite canon divergence with the Master and the Doctor and their relationship etc.)

_In hindsight, the Master probably should have expected something so ridiculous to have happened during their little outing; especially after all they had been through together in the recent past. Mishaps and grave mistakes followed the Doctor around like a murky shadow. It was one of the things he secretly found so endearing about her. Nothing, however, could have prepared him for this..._

~~~~~

The Doctor’s sudden cry of pain as she awoke from unconsciousness had the Master snapping out of his thoughts and dropping to his knees at her side. He leaned over the Doctor and pressed a firm but careful hand against her chest to stop her from trying to sit up.

“Can you hear me? Try not to move. You fell – do you remember anything?” The Master asked, still a little out of breath from chasing her tumbling body over the cliff edge, now some distance behind them.

“Master?”

“Yes, I’m here. You’re hurt so lay _still_ ,” he repeated firmly, watching her face closely as she slowly became more alert.

The Doctor groaned, disorientated, eyes rolling a little as she tried to focus on the Master above her. She attempted to lift her left hand to her face, but quickly dropped it back down with a slight thud as pain lanced across her back, so sharply - it was as if she had been whipped.

"What happened?"

"You rushed ahead of me and tripped on that hill above us. The ground crumbled and you went right over the damn edge!" The Master explained angrily, still in mild shock at what he had witnessed.  
  
_The instant she had disappeared out of sight, he was so sure that she was gone forever._  
  
"You hit the slope halfway down and rolled the rest of the way. I didn't think I'd find you _alive,_ let alone breathing!"

The Doctor was now quite a sorry picture, sprawled awkwardly on the ground. A muddy mess of limbs and clothing -ripped in several places- hair full of twigs and god knows what else. Small superficial cuts and scrapes littered her face and hands, but they were not the worst of her injuries.

“I’ve tried to check you over without moving you too much... you’ve got a graze on the back of your head but it doesn’t look too bad- I think it’s already drying out. Your left leg is a bit of a mess and I think your right shoulder is dislocated. I’m not sure about anything else because I didn’t want to move you.” The Master spoke quickly, stressed, his teeth worrying his bottom lip as he cast his eyes over the Doctor’s injured form.

The Doctor attempted to move her right arm and immediately yelled in pain, her voice hoarse and strained.

The Master frowned and watched as the Doctor lifted her good hand up to feel along her shoulder, down her arm and then awkwardly check for a pulse at her wrist.

“Definitely dislocated, anterior dislocation I think? Got a pulse, that's good,” she gasped, voice hitching a little as she suddenly found it much harder to breathe. Hot tears formed in the corners of her eyes as a rush of pain swept across her shoulder and chest.

The Master’s frown faltered at the sight of her tears but he quickly hid behind a look of mild annoyance. “Can you tell if you're injured anywhere else? Can I move you?” 

“I think-“, the Doctor paused for a moment, frowning as she forced himself to concentrate, “my neck and spine are ok, lower right ribs cracked, maybe- maybe just bruised...” she paused to take a shaky breath, “left leg probably broken, yeah... _oh..._ I can feel something damp behi- _ugh_ , I think my lower back hit something sharp." She groaned again, arching away from the ground a little and closing her eyes for a brief moment before visibly struggling to focus on the Master once more, "...oh I really _do_ have a headache.”

The Master’s frown deepened as he swept his gaze over her crumpled form, assessing, weighing up their options and not liking the conclusion.

The Doctor closed her eyes and took a steadying breath, trying to focus again, “Can you get me my sonic? It’s in my jacket pocket.”  
  
Moving her arms with careful hands, and trying hard not to visibly recoil as the Doctor's face contorted in pain, the Master lifted her coat and very slowly felt around the impossibly deep pocket on the inside hem for the sonic. He passed it quickly to her good hand and waited as the Doctor carefully scanned the sky above them.

She tried and failed to steady her hand, so with an exasperated sigh; the Master took the sonic from her and held the display up to her face.

The Doctor studied her sonic for a moment before sighing, “Too far to walk before night-fall, and this forest is dangerous in the dark... too many nasty... _bite-y_ things.”

The Master rolled his eyes, trust her to bring them somewhere dangerous despite being on a supposedly uninhabited, primordial planet. “And your injuries? We’ll need to splint your leg with something, but what can we do about your shoulder and ribs? Is it safe to move you- can you move? I need to check your back too.”

The Doctor gave a heavy sigh, “Master, you’re... you're going to have to help me reset my shoulder- I _can’t_ leave it like this.”

The agony she felt in her shoulder and across her back was essentially immobilising her, and both far outweighed the pain in the rest of her body. She really _couldn't_ leave it for much longer.

There was a pause before the Master spoke quickly, genuine worry creeping into his tone. “What if I make it worse? I’ve never done this before Doctor, not to help someone!”

“Please Master, I can’t do it alone. You need to do this... _please_ ,” the Doctor begged, her eyes locking with his, trying to convince him that she trusted him and it would all be alright, whilst holding back another grimace of pain.

The Master’s hands gripped the front of the Doctor’s shirt, his eyes wide and staring. “But what if I hurt you?” He growled, wanting her to understand that he was not good at this, caring for someone injured as badly as her just wasn’t _him_.

“Trust me? _Please?_ ” The Doctor begged, locking eyes with him and allowing him to see the absolute trust and faith she held in him in her eyes.

The Master frowned, giving her a curious look before his teeth started worrying his bottom lip once more. “Ok, but you _have_ to stop me if I make it worse.”

The Doctor smiled kindly at him, relieved that he was willing to help, “I will. Thank you.”

She took a couple of steadying breaths, steeling herself against what was about to happen, “There’s no counter traction so you’re going to have to do this a bit differently. I need you to stand next to me, take hold of my arm with both of yours and plant your foot firmly in my armpit- can you do that?”

The Master resisted an eye roll and nodded, doing as he was told, trying not to pull or move the Doctor’s arm more than necessary as he arranged himself.

“Are you sure about this? What about your ribs?” He asked as the Doctor gasped, her eyes glistening with tears.

“Yes. Make sure... make sure you have a firm hold…” she paused to take another painful breath, “...then on my count you need to press forward with your foot, and pull back with your arms - straight, as hard as you can - ok?”

The Master nodded again, making sure he held onto the Doctor’s hand and elbow tightly, determined to make sure that her arm wouldn’t slip out of his grasp when he pulled.

“3, 2…”

The Master pulled as hard as he possibly could, and the Doctor’s “1” came out as a garbled scream instead. He almost lost his grip in shock at the level of her voice and the Doctor’s body dragged a little on the ground, but the Master managed to keep the pressure on her arm and hold her in place with his foot.

After possibly the longest ten seconds of her entire life, and to the Doctor’s immense relief, she felt and heard the sharp **_pop!_** as her shoulder joint moved suddenly back into place.

Pain and shock rushed over her like a tidal wave and she choked on a shout before abruptly becoming silent and still.

"Doctor? _Doctor!_ " The Master cried, suddenly panicked that something had gone terribly wrong. He dropped quickly to her side, still supporting her arm in his now trembling hands.

The Doctor drew in a sudden breath, laughing and crying all at once, “Oh! First go... _clever_ Koschei,” she gasped almost deliriously, thumping her head back on the muddy ground and closing her eyes in exhaustion as the sudden relief in immediate pain felt like an immense weight lifting from her chest.

The Master gently laid the Doctor’s arm across her middle and sat beside her on his knees, rubbing his brow and calming himself down. “You're ok now?”

The Doctor smiled but kept her eyes closed, “Yes Master, you did very good… very good.”

In an unusually tender action, the Master stroked a hand across the Doctor’s sweaty forehead, moving hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. He carefully laid his other hand against her arm, cradling it to her heaving chest.

He let her rest for a moment and catch her breath, sitting beside her in silence, his hand stroking along her arm in an attempt to calm her.

After a little while she stirred. "Can't stay here," she mumbled, eyes still closed.

"I know. We need to get you up-right," the Master decided, shifting back a little so that he had space to manoeuvre her.

Sliding an arm underneath the Doctor, whilst wary of her wounds and sore shoulder, the Master very carefully helped her to sit up, supporting her back against him.

“Hardest bit over, right?” He spoke softly, uneasy at the sight of tears still lingering on the Doctor’s face.

The Doctor gave a weak chuckle and opened her eyes properly at that, “Almost. We need to splint my leg and then find somewhere safe to stay for the night." She paused for a moment, looking down at her legs as if they were foreign to her.

"I can't believe I've broken it, we’re not supposed to be able to break bones so easily are we?”

The Master chuckled and shook his head but followed the Doctor’s gaze as she suddenly frowned and looked upwards, blinking at the sky, "Ah... _oh dear._ ”

The Master matched her frown as he realised the sky had darkened considerably without their noticing.

Night time was coming; they were running out of time.

“Well we can use your scarf to secure your arm and shoulder, but what can we use to splint your leg? The scarf isn’t long enough for both. There are some branches and wood over there,” the Master pointed to the row of trees across from them, “but I don’t know what I could use to secure it?”

The Doctor pondered for a moment but couldn’t think of anything in her pockets that might be of use.

The Master huffed in annoyance, “Well, we could tear strips off my shirt, but you'll owe me a new one.”

The Doctor just laughed.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are going from bad to worse for the Master and the Doctor...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the lovely comments and amazing response so far for this fic! It's utterly made my week! Love to you all.
> 
> Bit of a short chapter again, but don't worry, the next is longer and I've got so much more coming... and a lot more angst so I hope you're ready for it!

It was very nearly pitch black by the time the Master had finished covering the worst of the Doctor's wounds with makeshift bandages torn from his favourite blue shirt. They had secured her leg and shoulder as well as they could with their limited resources and a particularly inventive use of several vines by the Master. He had also used her sonic to close and heal the smallest of cuts on her face and hands, but it didn't have enough power to help with the rest of her wounds. She would need the TARDIS med-bay for that.

The urgency to find some shelter for the night had hit them both rather hard, especially when the temperature began to drop rapidly and they started to hear an unpleasant array of not-so-distant growls and noises emanating from the forest beside them.

The Master had lost his smart shirt but still had on an undershirt, his waistcoat and thick jacket so wasn’t feeling the cold too badly. The Doctor however only had on a couple of thin t-shirts and her coat which didn’t do much to keep the cold out, especially with her injuries affecting her too. She shivered lightly as a breeze picked up around them, its sharp chill threatening worse to come.

The Doctor had found a small but powerful torch in one of her coat pockets so the Master held onto that tightly.

“Can you manage?” The Master asked, helping the Doctor to her feet and steadying her beside him as best as he could, his arm wrapped around her waist.

“Yeah, just about,” the Doctor replied in a strained voice, the torch light illuminating her face and emphasising the lines around her eyes and mouth as she winced.

“We need to find shelter; there must be some kind of cliff overhang or cave coverage further down that ridge you fell from,” the Master theorised, shining the torch in each direction; illuminating trees, cliffs, muddy paths and yet more trees before pointing it forward along a natural, rocky path.

The planet they were on was void of any real civilisation yet- as the Doctor had taken them far back in time, long before any high-rises or pollution in an attempt to show the Master the beauty of the place, whilst also coming here to recover some useful organic elements for the TARDIS circuitry.

“Ok, sounds like a plan,” the Doctor said weakly, trying to keep focused and ignore the sharp burning pains in her back and shoulder and the deep set aching in her leg.

The Master glanced at her sideways, studying her face for a moment before starting to walk forwards, encouraging her to hold onto him and forcing her to keep pace with him as he started carefully down the path.

~~~~~

When the Doctor stumbled for the fourth time, this time nearly taking the pair of them to the floor, the Master finally snapped, stooping and lifting her easily into his arms and starting to carry her along the uneven path at a steady march.

“You don’t have to carry me!” The Doctor protested; her good hand gripping hold of his jacket for support.

“Yes I do, or we’ll never get to shelter. You’re going to get us both killed struggling along like that! This way is much faster.”

The Doctor sighed in defeat and rested her head against his shoulder, looking up at his face and studying his features. His jaw was set firm with determination, his eyes focusing on the path ahead, stomping along like he was on an important mission. His brow was furrowed in a frown and she could see the slight strain in the muscles around his eyes. The Master was in no way happy, but at least he was helping her.

~~~~~

Unfortunately for them, the weather had decided to worsen, temperatures dropping low enough for their breath to appear in the air in front of them, and the first pitter-pattering of rain had started around them.

The Doctor’s shivers had developed into full body tremors once the rain had started properly, despite the Master’s attempts to cover her up with her own coat in his arms. He had no such protection, utterly drenched, his hair sticking flat to his head by the time the rain truly hit them both.

The path ahead was becoming almost impossible to walk along, muddy and slippery surfaces that would be hard enough for the Master to traverse in the dark, even without the Doctor in his arms.

Genuine fear had started to creep into his chest as he struggled forwards with the Doctor, desperately trying to search out some kind of cover from the rain.

To his immense relief, a little further ahead he could see a faint glow in the moonlight around the bottom of a rocky outcrop and the definite outline of a cave entrance.

“Perfect!” He carefully angled the flashlight towards it and picked up his pace, almost darting across with the Doctor still clutched tightly in his arms.

The cave went back a good fifteen feet and after the narrow entrance, rose high enough to accommodate them both if standing upright.

The Master also found that the further in he carried the Doctor, the warmer the cave became.

The Doctor stirred in his arms, awake enough to notice that they were no longer in the rain, but too disoriented to understand why.

“I checked the data banks when you landed us here. This planet has a super core with many volcanoes and steam vents under and over its surface; this cave must be near one of the hidden lava streams. Let’s just hope it doesn’t _erupt_ ,” the Master explained tiredly, attempting a snarky comment which just didn’t carry as much weight as it normally would have, exhausted as he was.

After finding a smooth part of the cave floor, the Master carefully knelt down and placed the Doctor on her side, before setting the torch beside them to illuminate the space and working on removing her sodden coat.

Despite how visibly cold she was, the coat itself hadn’t done too bad of a job covering her body from the rain- only her head and lower legs were truly saturated. Her stupidly short trousers hadn’t helped, the Master thought bitterly- but at least the rest of her was relatively dry. He just had to hope that the heat rising from the floor would be enough to help warm her.

The Master couldn’t help but let a gasp slip from his mouth as he realised the back of her coat and both t-shirts below had been slashed open by something and a large area of her lower back was sodden with blood. Something he had missed earlier when first checking her for injuries. She must have been bleeding the entire time they had walked together in the dark, and then even more in his arms.

He felt sick to the stomach at the thought of it- which was something he never thought he’d feel in regards to the Doctor- and swiftly decided not to focus too hard on the implications. Right now he had to work on helping her so that they both could get through the night. Anything else would have to wait until later. _Much later._

“Oh Doctor, what have you _done?_ ” He whispered softly, lifting her shirts away from her skin with a wince of genuine sympathy at the sight of the wound below.

The Doctor moaned softly, not yet unconscious but close to it as exhaustion and pain swamped her system.

“You’ve got quite a nasty cut on your back Doctor, you must’ve hit something sharp when you fell,” the Master explained as calmly as he could, studying the horrid jagged line across her back and frowning at its puffy red, weeping edges.

Shrugging his sodden jacket off his shoulders and chucking it to the floor, the Master quickly divested himself of his waistcoat and then his thin cotton undershirt, intent on using the shirt to try and cover her wound. It wasn’t ideal, nor was it particularly sanitary, but it might help stem the bleeding enough until he could get them back to the TARDIS once the suns had risen again.

He carefully folded and stretched the shirt and wrapped it around her middle, pulling it as tight as he dared beneath her own t-shirts and trying not to falter at her small cry of pain. It would have to do for now, he had nothing else left to use.

The Master shrugged his waistcoat back on but left his jacket flat on the floor and arranged her coat next to it, hoping they would dry enough so that he wouldn’t be sat in a tiny waistcoat all night and the Doctor would have something to use as a blanket.

He had however noticed that the air around them had slowly crept up a little in temperature, and reasoned that if it stayed that way, they would at least be able to sleep relatively warmly that night. _Silver linings..._

The Doctor moaned quietly and the Master settled beside her on the floor, gently lifting her head onto his lap and stroking her sodden hair back from her face.

“I’m sorry but this is the best we’ve got,” he spoke softly, watching sadly as she curled into a tight foetal position beside him, her body clearly wracked with pain.

His chest tightened and before he really registered what he was doing, he had her gathered up carefully in his arms, cradled against his chest as comfortably as he could manage.

The Doctor, now barely able to stay awake, whispered a tiny _thank you_ and nestled her head into the crook of his arm before finally falling unconscious.

The Master breathed out heavily, uncertainty and fear settling as a lead weight in his stomach. He hated the feeling of powerlessness, knowing there wasn’t much else he could do for the Doctor until the storm raging outside had abated and the daytime was upon them once more. He was starting to worry that she might not last that long- her breathing had already become shallower and he felt the dampness from her injured back seeping through her clothing still. She should’ve started to naturally heal by now, but something appeared to be holding that back.

And the Master _really_ didn’t like the gravity of the implications that came with that.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.

The Master sat quietly with the Doctor in his arms for hours. Unsure on how long the night cycle of the planet lasted, he silently hoped that it would end soon. He was thankful that their cave remained undisturbed throughout the night. He could hear distant howls and the occasional thud or crack outside beyond the rain, but nothing ventured near enough to their hideaway to cause any concern.

He let his thoughts drift for a while, rocking the Doctor gently in his arms, mindful of her injuries but driven by something deep inside of him to continue comforting her. She had started to breathe a little better after a couple of hours and was now clearly sleeping instead of being fully unconscious. The Doctor’s sleep wasn’t restful however; the tense lines on her face and the occasional whimper told him she was suffering a nightmare. Something he was very familiar with himself.

The Master was glad however, to see and feel that the pair of them had dried off considerably and the Doctor felt much warmer in his arms than before. 

He hushed her gently with soothing words as her nightmare seemed to get worse, one hand gently stroking the side of her face, smoothing out the tension he found there. His fingers found her temple instinctively and he felt for the edges of her troubled mind, sending her thoughts of calm and warmth and comfort. He smiled to himself as he felt it working and the Doctor settling in his arms.

Withdrawing gently from her mind, the Master opened his eyes and jumped a little with surprised as he found the Doctor’s warm hazel eyes staring up at him with a look of almost wonder.

“Hello,” the Master spoke quietly, an amused smile quirking the corner of his mouth at the expression on her face.

“Where are we?” The Doctor asked, looking past his face to the cave wall behind and frowning in confusion.

“We’re in a cave. I carried you here when the rain started, don’t you remember?” The Master frowned, concerned at her memory loss.

“My back hurts,” the Doctor moaned, her good hand finding his waistcoat lapel and gripping hold, if only to centre herself.

“I know, but don’t worry about that, we’ll sort that as soon as we’re back at the TARDIS,” the Master spoke calmly, deciding to try and distract her from her injuries for the time being. “What do you know of this planet? How long is the night cycle?”

“Eight hours I think?” The Doctor replied, frowning as she found it increasingly hard to think properly.

The Master did a quick calculation in his head and realised that it would be sunrise in less than an hour, a sudden surge of hope filled his chest and he started to form a plan in his head to get the Doctor back to the TARDIS as quickly as he could.

The Doctor groaned, shifting uncomfortably in his arms as her entire body ached and stung. Her head was foggy with pain and stringing two coherent thoughts together felt like a mammoth task. All she could truly focus on besides her pain was the feeling of the Master’s arms wrapped around her and the faint beating of his hearts beneath her ear.

“Try and relax Doctor, it won’t be long before we’re back in the TARDIS. I promise you, you will feel better in no time at all,” the Master soothed, stroking first her face and then her shoulder gently and rocking her in his arms once more. He noticed the sickly pallor of her skin and the thin sheen of sweat covering her forehead and realised quickly that she had a fever coming on from what was likely a nasty infection in her back.

The sooner the suns rose in the sky outside the better. It sounded as though the rain had disappeared entirely which was one positive the Master supposed.

~~~~~

When the first stream of bright sunlight started to creep into the cave, the Master was immediately moving into action. He carefully laid the Doctor on the floor so that he could retrieve his jacket, happy that it was completely dry and warm. He then wrapped the Doctor up in her long coat like a blanket, before lifting her up off the floor, holding her close to his chest once more.

“Time to go Doctor,” the Master spoke firmly, looking down at her clammy face and frowning unhappily at the fact that she was drifting into unconsciousness once more in his arms.

Cautious as he exited the cave, the Master was relieved to see that they were entirely on their own, only the rustling of the trees in the slight wind and the distant creaks and cracks of the forest and hillside around them filled the air.

Two suns hung bright and hot in the sky above them, already drying the ground which would make his trek back to the TARDIS much easier than before.

He set off at a fast pace, tracking the TARDIS with the Doctor’s sonic balanced awkwardly in his hands as his arms still held the Doctor close.

The journey back felt much shorter than the day before and his confidence started to build with every stride, but a glance down at the Doctor in his arms ramped up his urgent desire to be back in the safety of the TARDIS. Her skin was an ashen white now, dark rings had formed around her eyes and sweat covered every inch of her face and neck. The Master knew she was getting worse and his time to help her was running out very quickly. He wasn’t sure he could bear seeing her regenerate _, if she even could,_ knowing he would lose her before he had even gotten to know this new form of hers properly.

Unwilling to let his fears take root, the Master picked up his pace, heading down a rocky decline at an almost jogging pace. It didn’t take long until he started to recognise areas around him, and knew the TARDIS wasn’t too far away from them now. Perhaps another half an hour and he would be there.

After clambering awkwardly over a fallen tree, the Master found himself in a flat area of field surround by a few trees and full of bright blue blades of grass reflecting the suns light like glitter had been thrown all around them. Brilliant yellow and white flowers grew clumped together in dense patches, tall and pointing towards the sky, and a small stream of clear water cut straight across the land, flowing quietly beside him as he walked.

If he wasn’t in such a hurry, the Master might have truly appreciated the beauty of the place and the tranquillity the silence around them offered- he had to admit to himself that sometimes, just _sometimes_ the Doctor was right about a planet and the need to see it all before it faded away forever.

The Master snapped out of his thoughts with a jolt as he suddenly found himself stumbling hard as the Doctor started to seize in his arms. Shocked, he quickly lowered her to the floor before he could accidentally drop her.

He watched with mounting horror as she contorted and jerked on the ground, her injured shoulder ripping free from the make-shift scarf sling and her limbs stretching out stiffly as her head rocked from side to side. Her back arched and straightened repeatedly, severe tremors wracking her form as she seized uncontrollably.

Unable to do anything to stop it, the Master felt a sudden bubble of rage creep up his spine and with a yell, turned and punched the nearest tree to him as hard as he could to release it. The second his hand stung sharply with pain he felt himself becoming grounded once more and turned his attention back to the Doctor.

Dropping to his knees he remained stoic by her side swallowing down panic as he prayed for it to be over with quickly.

After what felt like an age, the Doctor slowly calmed and the Master carefully tipped her onto her side, dismayed at seeing fresh blood seeping through her clothing from her many wounds. The seizure had visibly done a lot more damage to her body and the Master was starting to feel like he might be out of his depth.

The Doctor gasped harshly as if she couldn’t breathe and gave a low, choked moan, arching her head backwards for a moment before falling completely still.

“No, no, _no!_ You’re not doing this to me now- not after _everything!_ ” The Master growled, hurriedly grabbing her wrist to check her pulse and finding it missing the second set of beats.

One of her hearts had stopped and the other was barely thumping.

The Master realised immediately that she was also no longer breathing and jumped into action, arranging her on her back so that he could start CPR. He tilted her head back carefully to open her airway and cleared her mouth with gentle fingers, before holding it wide with a firm hand around her jaw. As he breathed air into her lungs he could taste the sharp metallic tang of blood on her lips- she must have bitten her tongue as she seized he realised sadly, before moving back to arrange himself above her.

“I’m not letting you die Doctor, not _now_. It’s not your time yet.” The Master panted, pumping down hard on her chest in a steady rhythm, alternating between giving her oxygen and pushing down hard on her stopped heart.

He kept going for what felt like an impossibly long time, never faltering even though his arms and back started to ache and burn fiercely with his efforts- but he was soon rewarded.

The Doctor’s sudden gasp as she drew air into her burning lungs by herself was the sweetest sound the Master thought he had ever heard.

She coughed hard and choked a little on the blood and saliva in her mouth, crying out in panic as the shock of not being able to breathe and the agony in every part of her body returned to her in one sudden heavy blow.

The Master quickly turned her onto her side and rubbed her back and arm carefully, trying to soothe her and calm her down so that she could breathe properly.

“It’s ok, you’re ok Doctor. Calm now, I’ve got you,” the Master spoke softly, holding the Doctor through her coughing fit as she steadily returned to full consciousness.

He continued to reassure her, gently stroking her and supporting her as she lay on her side next to him, recovering slowly from her seizure.

Eventually she calmed and quietly started to cry, utterly overwhelmed by what had happened and wracked with pain.

The Master felt his hearts break there and then and in an instant had carefully lifted her into his lap, cuddling her broken body gently to his chest and rocking her in his arms.

“Hush now, I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” he soothed, repeating himself over and over, rocking her until she finally calmed down completely, her head tucked into his chest, face hidden by her own hair, a tiny hand finding his waistcoat lapel and grasping hold weakly.

“Just try and relax, focus on your breathing. I’m here, I’ve got you,” the Master repeated gently, “I know it hurts but we’re so close to the TARDIS now, you’re almost home.” Stroking her sweaty hair back from her pale face, the Master cupped her trembling jaw tenderly with his hand and stroked away her tears with his thumb.

“Thank you,” the Doctor whispered, turning her head a little so that she could make eye contact with him, intense gratitude and something else he couldn’t quite decipher lingering in her stare for a moment before it was quickly replaced by pain.

“I need to move you; do you think you can hold on a little longer?” The Master asked softly, watching her face carefully as she tensed in agony once more.

“Yes,” the Doctor gasped, closing her eyes for a moment in misery before looking back up at him, the raw trust in her gaze making his hearts thud harder in his chest.

“Ok, I’m going to lift you up now. I’ll get us back to the TARDIS as fast as I can, she’s not far. Can you feel her?” The Master hoped to distract the Doctor, if he could get her to focus on something else, she might just survive long enough for him to help her. He couldn’t risk whatever it was that had caused her to have a seizure and stop her heart getting worse or reoccurring before he had a chance to get her to safety.

Her weak cry of pain as he rose from the ground with her still cradled in his arms almost had him faltering, but he pushed on, heading in the direction of the TARDIS at a fast pace, determined to reach her as quickly as possible...


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In all his lives, the Master never thought he would feel such relief at seeing the Doctor’s silly blue box come into view- but there it was, stood proudly on a grassy bank with sunlight reflecting off its windows and glistening through the domed light perched upon its roof.

In all his lives, the Master never thought he would feel such relief at seeing the Doctor’s silly blue box come into view- but there it was, stood proudly on a grassy bank with sunlight reflecting off its windows and glistening through the domed light perched upon its roof.

He had barely moved his hand to fumble for the key when the ships doors opened on their own accord, knowing her pilot was sick the TARDIS was eager to help him. The Master sent a quiet thanks to her in his mind and felt a thrum of concern in return.

It didn’t take him long to find the medbay- he had a feeling the TARDIS was rearranging rooms to help them- and in short order, the Master had placed the Doctor carefully onto a bed and was hurriedly gathering medical supplies.

To his dismay the Doctor had lost consciousness once more, her breathing was shallow, and her body was limp and unresponsive. It did however make it much easier for him to remove her ruined clothes and take off the dirty make shift bandages he had fashioned out of his shirt.

A long time ago, if he had been asked how he would love to see the Doctor, ‘beaten and broken’ would have been top of his list. But now that he truly saw it in front of him in stark reality, he knew his hearts were never really into it, despite what his wicked tongue may have spat.

As he started to prep the Doctor on the bed he suddenly fumbled and dropped a tray of sterile equipment onto the floor. His temper snapped before he could even register the fury properly and in the next second his fist was through a glass cabinet door nearby. Hissing in pain and angry at his own stupidity, the Master picked glass out of his knuckles before hastily bandaging up his fist and collecting fresh supplies for the Doctor.

He slipped an oxygen feed around her head and made sure it was pumping air into both her nose and mouth and attached a couple of tiny electrodes onto her chest above each heart, angling a monitor beside him to display her pulse rates so that he could make sure they remained steady.

A quick scan of the Doctor with her sonic told him that he was correct in thinking she had an infection, so he instructed the TARDIS to start monitoring it and link it to a computer to receive and work through the data.

The Master swiftly got to work, cleaning her body carefully with warm water and antiseptic, and making sure to remove every last trace of dirt and grime from her wounds. Her body was littered with ugly bruises, cuts and weeping sores, the very worst being across her lower back where her pale skin was barely visible beneath dark purple bruising and the long, infected wound. Knowing he would have to tackle that last, he carefully applied a thick bandage across the weeping wound and hoped that it would suffice whilst he healed the rest of her body.

Using a tissue regenerator he was able to repair and seal the majority of her wounds, and was satisfied to see that his careful work had left no scars behind, only smooth if very pale skin. He applied a powerful bruise balm to the worst areas that the regenerator had not quite reached and watched as the nasty shades of red and purple faded slowly away. Eventually, only her broken leg and badly injured back remained.

Wiping his sweaty brow with his bandaged hand, the Master felt exhaustion creeping in to his aching body, the adrenaline of the last few hours finally wearing off, but he could not stop now- _would not stop_ \- until the Doctor was stable.

He picked up her right hand and inserted a cannula into her wrist before securing it with tape and a bandage- he needed to start pumping antibiotics into her to help fight the infection coursing through her system. He did not want to risk her having another seizure 

Once he had a feed going and was satisfied that it was entering her blood stream correctly, he rolled her gently onto her back, carefully removing the temporary brace he had twined around her leg and straightening her swollen foot. He found a good vein on the side of her ankle and injected a sizeable vial of nanogenes into her. These were specific to bone injuries and would quickly heal her broken limb and any other fractures she may have sustained, before disappearing without a trace. He was certain that he had cracked at least a couple of her ribs during his CPR, so hopefully the nanogenes would find and repair the damage.

The Master waited for a few minutes before scanning her leg with a medical scanner and finding that they had worked well. He cast the scanner across the rest of her body and was pleased to see that she had no other bone related injuries. Carefully, he strapped the Doctor’s leg up in a supportive bandage before slowly rolling her over onto her front so that he could finish working on her back.

Making sure that her head was supported on its side, the oxygen feed remaining steady and the antibiotics line untangled, the Master took a deep breath before peeling back the thick bandage and studying the horrible wound beneath.

~~~~~

He wasn’t sure just how long he worked on her back, but when the last bit of bruising finally faded away to leave pale, unblemished skin beneath, and he had managed to arrange the Doctor on clean sheets and wrap her up in warm blankets; the Master found himself stumbling and falling into the chair beside her bed. His legs gave out beneath him and his head started to spin a little as his exhaustion finally crashed down onto him.

Blinking hard to clear his blurred vision, the Master realised he wasn’t sure when either of them had last eaten or drunk anything. He forced himself to his feet once more, rummaging in one of the cold store cupboards near a sink for a nutrient drip to attach to the Doctor. They could both last much longer without adequate sustenance than other species when it really came to it, but with the Doctor in such a weak state he needed to ensure that she had everything she needed to try and fight her infection.

Once he had set everything up, and was happy with how stable the Doctor currently was, he finally gave in to exhaustion and collapsed onto a bed next to hers in a heap- blissfully unconscious in seconds.

~~~~~

The sound of a machine beeping woke the Master with a start some time later, and he rolled hastily out of bed, stumbling towards the Doctor in a panic before realising it was just the antibiotics and nutrient feeds announcing that they were completed.

He did a quick scan of the Doctor and was relieved to see that she had started to improve a little- her temperature had lowered and her hearts were beating steadily enough for now.

She had yet to awaken though- skin still too pale, dark circles under her eyes, her entire body looking too frail and small buried beneath the thick blankets.

A monitor to the side of them beeped and a sudden stream of information appeared on screen from the TARDIS. She had been running a diagnostics scan on the Doctor and had found that the nasty infection was taking root in her blood stream and spinal cord. It was also the cause of her violent seizure and heart stopping. The antibiotics had slowed the spread, but the Master would have to find or create something stronger to fully remove it from her.

Running a hand through his messy hair in irritation, the Master suddenly cringed at how dirty he was. So focused on helping the Doctor and seeing to her care, he had completely neglected himself and realised now just how disgusting he looked and felt. His hand also needed a good clean and properly dressing as it had bled through his bandages already.

The Master worried his lip for a moment, staring over at the Doctor and making the decision to go and clean himself up. He figured that it would be safe enough if he set alarms and asked the TARDIS to monitor her in his absence. There was a bathroom next door to the medbay so he wouldn’t be far away if she needed him. For now he could leave her sleeping peacefully.

~~~~~

The scolding hot water of the shower made the Master shiver and groan happily- nothing felt better than feeling built up dirt and grime strip cleanly from his body. His lathered every inch of his skin with soap and took extra care in cleaning his hands and fingers, the cuts across his knuckles had already closed up and started to heal thanks to his superior healing capabilities. It did give him a jolt of concern for the Doctor however, as her equally superior healing had clearly been compromised.

Sighing softly with a frown pinching his mouth, the Master picked up some shampoo that had materialised on the shelf above him and sniffed it cautiously. Vanilla and sandalwood- interesting choice... Shrugging to himself he lathered it up in his hair, washed it through thoroughly and enjoyed running his fingers through clean locks, pulling to make his hair squeak.

He finished up in the shower, scrubbed his head dry with a towel and wrapped another around his middle, padding quietly across to the sink to stare at his appearance in the mirror.

The deep set shadows around his eyes and his weary expression took him by surprise. His face looked a little gaunt and there was visible tension still lingering around his shoulders. It had only been a couple of days yet the stress had taken its toll on him already. He felt like he had aged a few decades too, his body ached dully still, despite the heat of the shower.

Frowning and running a hand across his bearded chin, he reached for a toothbrush and toothpaste and focused on scrubbing his teeth clean. He had better things to worry about right now then his appearance or general health. His thoughts drifted back to the Doctor, frail and unresponsive in her bed, and he felt an uncomfortable twinge in both hearts. He swilled his mouth out with water, spitting harshly into the sink, before pouting at himself and spinning around to search for fresh clothing. 

After looking in a few cupboards and a couple of hampers, he found himself a pair of boxers, some light purple soft PJ bottoms and a thin white t-shirt. Satisfied with his finds he continued rummaging and found the Doctor some simple underwear and a long light-blue nightie. He couldn’t find her a bra and if he was honest with himself, even when he had his own set of breasts- he was pretty useless at finding bras that fit him correctly- favouring a corset to do all the work.

Dressing quickly, the Master was just shrugging the t-shirt over his head when all of a sudden the room was filled with a loud and relentless cloister bell.

_The medbay alarms!_

Disorientated and fighting down a sudden surge of panic, the Master fumbled with his shirt before turning and starting to run from the bathroom. Unfortunately for him however, his abandoned towel tangled with his foot and dragged him straight down onto the hard tile, his head smacking off the floor with a resounding _thump_.

The last thing the Master was aware of was the screeching of the bells before darkness took him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I'm going to say, is I'm sorry for that cliffhanger haha! So happy that people are enjoying this story! Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments and kudos so far- it's truly a delight reading them! x


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden assault of noise and sensation struck the Master hard as he slowly came back to consciousness...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say a massive thank you again to all you wonderful people who are reading my fic, leaving kudos or commenting. It means SO much to me right now! This is the first story I've written properly in years and I'm so happy people are enjoying it! x

_A sudden assault of noise and sensation struck the Master hard as he slowly came back to consciousness._

Disorientated, laying awkwardly on his front on the cold white tiles, the Master took a long moment to realise what was happening. The cloister bell and other high pitched alarms rang deafeningly throughout the bathroom, making his ears ache and his head spin.

He felt a throbbing pain above his right eye and was dismayed to see a puddle of blood next to his face as he opened his eyes. Groaning as he pushed himself up into a kneeling position, the Master put a hand to his face and grimaced as it came away covered in dark red blood. He had split his eyebrow open and had ruined his clean t-shirt.

Blinking hard to stop the room from spinning, the Master grabbed hold of the offending towel that he had tripped on and pressed it hard to his head to stem the bleeding.

It took another tediously long moment for him to register why his ears still hurt.

The alarms.

_The Doctor!_

Shouting out in anger at himself and his own stupidity, the Master hauled himself to his feet and ran out from the bathroom and back into the med-bay area.

The Doctor was hanging half out of her bed, gripped in the middle of another seizure, her IVs had ripped from her wrist and it had since bled all over her blankets.

Discarding the towel he had held to his face, the Master hurriedly dragged the Doctor back onto the bed properly before raising the metal bed guards to stop her from falling out. He then rushed over to another of the med-bays many rows of cabinets and pulled out several chemical vials, accidentally dropping and smashing several others in the process. Inspiration suddenly striking him in his moment of sheer panic.

Quickly mixing them together and slotting the new vial into a syringe, the Master ran back to her bedside and gripped hold of a flailing arm. He could barely hold her steady enough to inject the medication, but as soon as it hit her bloodstream, her fitting started to ease off. Kicking himself for not thinking of it earlier, he watched with bated breath as the Doctor slowly calmed and her breathing levelled out.

Carefully, the Master checked her wrist for damage before retrieving new IV lines and needles and reinserting the cannula into her arm securely. He hooked up a new antibiotics feed and a rehydration pouch full of fluids and electrolytes to help replace what she had lost. The electrodes monitoring her hearts were thankfully still in place and feeding information to the monitors around her bed, so once he had made sure her oxygen feed was secured properly to her face, the Master set to work stripping the soiled linen from the Doctor’s bed.

He quickly found fresh blankets and a new pillow and covered the Doctor up to her neck to protect her modesty and keep her warm as she was still quite naked from his earlier treatment of her.

Tenderly brushing her hair back from her sweaty forehead, the Master sighed tiredly as he realised just how much of an uphill battle it was going to be to keep her stable until he could find a cure.

Happy she was stable once more; the Master reset the alarms then dashed back into the bathroom next door and stood at the sink to wash his hands thoroughly. He frowned at his appalling appearance in the mirror and splashed warm water onto his face to remove the blood. His eyebrow stung but had already started to heal so he was no longer bleeding everywhere. He stripped off his ruined t-shirt and dumped it on the floor, picking up a spare of the same and shrugging it on quickly.

Once he was satisfied he was clean and sterile, he hurried back into the med-bay and was relieved to see that the Doctor hadn’t moved, and that her condition had remained the same, for now.

“You’ll be the death of me for sure,” he muttered, pulling a lab stool out from under a desk nearby and setting up a computer to start working on a cure. The TARDIS had been running continuous monitoring scans on the Doctor and gave him a lot of information to start off with, but he needed to narrow down exactly what the Doctor had been infected with. There was something on this planet that just did not agree with her biology.

~~~~~  
  


The Master was carefully running yet another of many intricate tests on a blood sample from the Doctor when he heard a tiny moan and a rustle of blankets behind him.

Setting down his tools, he slid from his stool and quietly padded over to the Doctor.

“Welcome back,” he spoke softly, watching as the Doctor focused on him with bleary eyes and took in the sight of the equipment around her. She lifted shaking hands to her face to remove her oxygen feed so that she could speak.

“What happened? Where am I?” She asked groggily, staring at the cannula in her wrist and the many monitors beeping and ticking around her bed.

“You’re in the TARDIS med-bay. We made it back and I healed what I could, but you’ve got an infection in your blood stream and spine from the wound on your back. I haven’t worked out what it is yet, but I’m trying.” The Master replied flatly, walking to her bedside, lowering one of the bed guards and perching on the edge beside her.

“I can’t feel it anymore?” The Doctor asked confused, shifting a little on the bed.

“I told you, I healed you. You’ve got a brace on your foot as it was a tricky break to heal, and you might have a considerable amount of muscle and ligament pain, but everything else is gone.”

The Doctor frowned, studying her arms and hands then smiled up at him, “Thank you.”

“You keep having seizures though,” the Master stated solemnly, staring down at his hands and worrying his lip with his teeth.

“Feels like it, everything aches,” the Doctor mumbled, attempting to push herself up but her arms gave out and she flopped back down with a grunt of pain.

The Master snarled and laid an arm quickly across her middle, holding her down. “Stop that! You need to _rest;_ you’ve probably torn everything fitting so hard.”

The Doctor shut her eyes suddenly and cried out as a wave of pain swept over her body, her hands finding his arm across her middle and gripping it hard for a moment.

“I told you! This _isn’t_ going to be easy.” The Master noted bluntly, keeping the annoyance out of his voice as he felt genuinely sorry for her as he watched her riding through her pain. 

“I don’t- I don’t think I can handle much more of that,” the Doctor gasped, releasing his arm as her pain passed, “But I would like to try and sit up for a bit.”

The Master nodded and stood to adjust the bed so that the top half rose upwards slowly, allowing the Doctor to sit upright.

The blanket slipped down her front as she adjusted her position and suddenly a lot more of her skin was on display.

The Doctor blushed as she realised she was quite naked beneath her blankets and caught sight of a guilty look on the Master’s face before he turned away to give her a moments privacy. Unsure on how to process that, the Doctor carefully lifted her blankets to cover herself and cleared her throat to let him know she was decent.

“Yeah, sorry about that- I had to remove your clothes to tend to your wounds,” the Master admitted, scratching the back of his head and avoiding her eyes.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t mind something to wear now though,” the Doctor admitted, shivering a little despite the heavy blankets surrounding her.

The Master frowned in concern, worrying that her infection had started to shut down her temperature regulation before clearing his face and smiling over at her.

“Ah, yeah- I found you some underwear and a nightie, but not much else. Bit useless in the wardrobe department for women,” he shrugged watching as she grinned and then glaring at her as he heard her mutter _Mary Poppins_ in a mocking tone.

Huffing, he walked over to where he had placed the clothes and brought them back over to her, dropping them onto the bed.

“I might need a bit of help,” the Doctor admitted, shifting in pain as her position started to cause her body to ache fiercely once more.

The Master nodded and after catching her gaze for a moment carefully pulled down her blankets and covers and moved them out of the way.

The Doctor instinctively covered herself but the Master just rolled his eyes, “Don’t worry, I won’t stare.” He grumbled, before carefully lifting her feet to slide on her underwear and drag them swiftly up her legs. She groaned in pain as he helped to lift her up to pull them over her hips before gently lowering her back down and supporting her for a moment, her arms over his shoulders. 

“Ok?” He asked, arms still holding her steady as she panted through her pain, her head angled down into his shoulder.

She nodded and he leaned her back against her pillows for a moment so that he could temporarily remove her IV to allow them to pull the nightie over her head without getting tangled up in tubes.

Once she was dressed and hooked back up to her IVs, the Master gave her a sad smile, “I think we should sort out some better pain relief, but there’s only one option left now that I can give you.” He spoke soberly, reaching over to a cabinet beside her bed and rummaging for a moment before showing her a dish with three large syringes and vials in.

The Doctor swallowed hard, knowing that what they had to do next would not be pleasant, but with the infection still rampaging through her body and her muscles aching and cramping up over and over, she wasn’t sure she could bare much more pain.

The Master helped her to sit up properly in bed and turned her so that her legs dangled over the edge of the bed. She swayed for a moment before bracing her arms forwards on the Master’s shoulders once more as he stood in front of her.

He made eye contact, asking silently for permission to start before reaching down to gently slide her nightie up her thigh a little to expose an area of her skin.

The Master prepared the first of the large needles and looked up in surprise as the Doctor reached down with one hand and grasped hold of his wrist, her lips were pressed together tightly, eyes full of nervous fear as she searched his face.

Understanding that she was feeling vulnerable and not taking any offence, the Master tried to reassure her gently. “It’s ok Doctor, this is far from the worst you’ve already endured- you can trust me.” His face for once was entirely open and revealed to her, allowing the Doctor to see clearly in his eyes that he truly cared about what was happening, and most importantly- about her.

The Doctor gasped softly at the intensity of his gaze and loosened her grip on his wrist, choosing to grasp hold of his hand instead- he only needed one for the needles.

The Master jabbed the first of the syringes into her thigh, wincing a little with her as she gripped his hand tighter, hissing in discomfort.

The next needle he swiftly injected into her upper arm, this one causing her to gasp louder in pain. The Master gently rubbed her arm after injecting her in an attempt to sooth the ache, and smiled when she relaxed a little under his touch.

"Last one now Doctor," he spoke softly, releasing her hand and moving his up to cup the side of her face in his palm. His thumb curled under her chin, holding her head still and his eyes watched her face as he prepared to inject the last of the three drugs into the side of her neck.

"Ready?" The Master asked, moving the needle into position; he knew from having this done to him in the past that it would hurt quite a bit.

The Doctor pressed her face against his hand, seeking comfort, and closed her eyes whilst nodding slightly in acceptance.

The Master quickly pressed the trigger button and held the needle firmly in place as it released into her neck.

This one took a good minute to complete and burned sharply as the drug entered her bloodstream, causing the Doctor to cry out- her face contorting in pain. Her hands moved to grip his arms tightly, needing something more to ground her as she endured the horrible sensations.

The Master felt her tense up and held her head steady throughout. The moment he felt the needle click in completion he removed it carefully from her neck and threw it across the floor.

The Doctor gasped and immediately slackened as she felt the process complete. Her eyes opened and found the Master watching her silently.

"Thank you, Master." She spoke his name quietly, visibly more relaxed than before- the drugs were working very fast, dampening her pain. She turned her head and surprised him by kissing his palm, smiling a little against his skin as she enjoyed the slight adrenaline rush the lack of intense pain gave her.

The Master, swallowing hard against a sudden surge of feelings he wasn’t entirely comfortable with, smiled back at her unhappily, “That was the easiest bit I’m afraid. We’ve still got to work out why the infection isn’t clearing like it should."

The Doctor sighed weakly and allowed him to manoeuvre her back down onto the bed. He lowered it so that it was flat once more and rested her head gently on soft pillows, pulling the blankets back up over her and tucking them in. Despite being in less pain, she was still very ill and the infection was running uncontrolled in her body.

“You need to wear your oxygen mask for a bit, as I need to get back to work,” the Master noted, picking up the mask and sliding it back over the Doctor’s head. She didn’t resist him, drowsy from the pain killers and wanting to sleep.

Satisfied she was comfortable and every line, tube and monitor was working, the Master impulsively dropped a kiss to her forehead before watching as she quickly drifted off to sleep.

The longer she stayed comfortable and stable, the longer he had to work- and judging by the lack of positive results any of his tests had given so far, he still had a lot to do...


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Master growled and hurled a petri-dish at the wall opposite him, watching with satisfaction as it exploded and littered glass and its contents over a counter top and the floor. Yet another failed test out of hundreds he had run so far, and even with the TARDIS also trying to figure out a cure, nothing was working.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry for this...

_The Master growled and hurled a petri-dish at the wall opposite him, watching with satisfaction as it exploded and littered glass and its contents over a counter top and the floor. Yet another failed test out of hundreds he had run so far, and even with the TARDIS also trying to figure out a cure, nothing was working._

He couldn’t understand it. Not one single test came back with anything remotely positive, and the TARDIS herself had made very little progress in working out what infection the Doctor actually had.

Trust her to contract something entirely unknown.

What aggravated the Master the most however was that he did not know what to expect. He knew the Doctor wouldn’t remain stable forever, and was visibly getting weaker, but he worried something else would happen that he couldn’t fight back against.

He had considered venturing out of the TARDIS more than once to try and find whatever it was the Doctor had hit when she fell from the cliff, but with the Doctor in such a delicate state, there was no way he could leave her. He also did not dare to move the TARDIS, her track record for landing in the correct area at the right time was bad enough even with the Doctor piloting- who knew how she would react under his control.

Running a hand through his hair and sighing in frustration, he realised he should probably find himself something to eat and drink. He had been deliberately ignoring the hunger pains in his stomach for hours now in favour of working, but his head was starting to spin and it was making him feel sick.

The Master was thankful that the Doctor had remained sleeping throughout, hearts beating steadily and her oxygen intake remained stable enough for now.

Noticing a new door had appeared on the far wall, the Master sent a quiet _thanks_ to the TARDIS as he realised she had been listening to his thoughts and had helpfully moved the kitchen door much closer to him.

~~~~

The Doctor’s IV feeds started to beep a little while later as they completed yet another cycle- the Master had changed them regularly across the hours he had spent working non-stop in the med-bay. 

Stretching and groaning as his back ached from him sitting in one position for so long, the Master stood awkwardly then walked over to the Doctor’s bedside to change her medication. To his dismay she had started to tremble and sweat profusely, her skin even more pale and clammy than before.

He watched in rising horror as her heart rates started to increase and her oxygen levels dropped sharply.

“No, no, _no!_ Not again!” The Master gasped, trying and failing to find another dose of the anti-seizure medication he had made up hours earlier before the Doctor started to fit once more.

This time it was much more violent than any of her seizures before. Blood immediately trickled out of her mouth as she bit through her tongue once more, head shaking and knocking side to side on her pillow. Her body stretching and arching hard in waves, IVs ripping from her wrist and breathing mask tangling around her head.

The alarms started to screech and the Master desperately tried to help her, removing her breathing mask and stripping away her blankets so that she wouldn’t become trapped underneath them.

But there was nothing he could do to stop the seizure, no more medication, and no help.   
  
Powerless, exhausted to his bones and utterly lost, the Master stood frozen beside her bed, watching in disbelief as she fitted, tears falling silently from his unbelieving eyes. His hands rose to his head and he pulled hard on his hair, mouth trembling and hearts racing as he watched her.

The Doctor’s seizure lasted for what felt like forever to the Master, but eventually she finally stilled.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, the Master reached over and tilted her onto her side quickly as she immediately vomited. He picked up a suction tube and cleared her mouth and airways before ripping away the blanket she had soiled, dropping it to the floor and kicking it out of the way with a disgusted scowl. Checking that she was able to breathe by herself once more and wiping her mouth clean, the Master arranged her properly on her side in the recovery position and reattached her oxygen feed, ramping up the pressure to ensure her oxygen levels rose back up to a safer level.

Her heart monitors had stopped beeping and thankfully her heart rates had levelled out, if considerably slower than before.

Wringing his hands, the Master realised with a harsh reality that the Doctor was unlikely to survive many more seizures. He had no clear idea as to the true damage they were doing to her body and where she remained unconscious, he couldn’t test her for neurological damage.

As much as he loathed the idea, perhaps her only option was to regenerate? But _could_ she? The Master had started to seriously doubt that it was still an option.

Watching her carefully as she slept and how her breath now shuddered in her chest, the Master gentling stroked the Doctor’s hair away from her face. Her skin was clammy and cold, much too cold for a Time Lord and it made the Master’s hearts clench with fear.

“Please don’t do this,” he whispered, feeling his hearts start to break at the very real prospect of losing her.

Stalking back over to the computer desk, he started to run another in depth scan of her body and requested the TARDIS to estimate the chances of a successful regeneration.

Exactly three minutes and twenty six seconds later the Master found his fist punching a hole through the screen.

_Infection spread rate = 97%  
Oxygen levels = 26% and declining.  
Organ stability = 34% and declining.  
Cure completion = 0%  
Chance of successful regeneration = 0%  
_  
The Master stared unseeingly at the broken computer, utterly numb- his fist bleeding heavily onto his lap.

_0% chance. She was dying._

_No. **NO!**_

His vision clouded red, and for the first time in so, so many years, the Master heard the drums.  
  
With an almighty anguished yell, he stood up, picked up his stool and drove the legs hard into the remains of the computer in front of him, snarling viciously as it exploded and showered him with sparks.

He flipped his work table over next, destroying the laboratory equipment and spilling blood samples, chemicals and tools all over the floor. He then methodically marched around the room, punching holes in every glass door and surface, snapping wood and metal alike with his bare hands, sweeping equipment onto the floor and throwing vials and books and everything he could get his hands on at the walls.

The Master wrecked utter devastation around the room, leaving no part unscathed until he reached the Doctor’s bed.

He suddenly stopped, red cloud lifting and replacing with a wave of deep sorrow at the sight of her small, weak body, curled up and unmoving on the bed.

With a great gasping sob the Master dropped to the floor and broke down crying, his hands ruined and bleeding heavily, cuts covering his wrists and arms, blood staining his clothes.  
  
 _She was dying._

The Doctor was dying and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

_He’d failed her._

Smashing his fists against the floor repeatedly the Master screamed and shouted in grief and intense heartache that burned him from the inside out. He almost didn’t hear the alarms start up again around the Doctor’s bed as her heart rates plummeted.

Desperate to do something- _anything-_ the Master became a whirl wind of movement around her bed. He injected her with adrenaline and massaged her chest to try and get her hearts beating properly. He tried using defibrillator paddles to shock her hearts back into rhythm and even went as far as to start manual CPR but the Doctor wasn’t responding.

Nothing was working and the Doctor was rapidly declining in front of his eyes.

The Master tilted his head back and roared in anguish at the ceiling before swiping his arm sideways into a monitor by her bed and collapsing onto the floor, panting hard on his hands and knees.

Knowing now that there was truly nothing more he could do; he dragged himself to his feet and stood by her bedside, utterly overcome with grief. The floodgates opening in his mind and drowning him in emotions he had not felt for so, so many years.

If he couldn’t save her, he would be there for her as she passed, he thought desperately, removing her oxygen mask and heart monitors and scooping her into his arms.

The Master barely registered where he was going until he found himself at the door to the Doctor’s bedroom. Carrying her carefully inside he walked over to her bed and laid her down gently onto the soft covers. There was _no_ way he was allowing her to die in a medical bed.

He sat up against the pillows and pulled her into his arms, cradling her tenderly against his chest.

Time Lords took a long time to die and he would be there for her until the very last moment.

“I’m sorry, I’m _so_ sorry. I didn’t want this. This _shouldn’t_ have happened. I should have fixed this, fixed _you_ ,” the Master rambled, tears falling heavily from his eyes, his voice broken and sore from screaming.

He held her, rocking them both gently, and stroked a hand through her hair and down her back before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

The Doctor’s breathing was so shallow now that he could barely feel it.

_But still he held her..._


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shortish chapter this time, but don't worry, chapter eight is a monster so will more than make up for it! ;)
> 
> The Master stared unseeingly at the dark wall opposite the bed, barely willing to breathe; his body tense and unmoving, his arms clutching the silent Doctor close to his chest.

_The Master stared unseeingly at the dark wall opposite the bed, barely willing to breathe; his body tense and unmoving, his arms clutching the silent Doctor close to his chest._

0% chance of regeneration.

_Regeneration._

A stray thought tickled through his numbed mind, not quite registering yet as shock still claimed him in an icy grip. 

_Regeneration..._

The word swirled around his head, repeating itself unrelentingly, spreading heat through his mind until he grasped hold of its scolding hot threads.

_What if?_

A sudden surge of desperate hope swelled in the Masters chest and his mind started to race. 

If the Doctor couldn’t regenerate by herself, what if he could give her his? He knew in theory that it could be done- he had heard all about _River_ after all... But he had never attempted anything like it before.

Never _seen_ it before.

It was dangerous, deadly even to tamper with one’s own regeneration energy, but he was beyond caring.

The universe needed the Doctor- that much he knew to be an absolute truth.

_The universe didn’t need him._

Staring down at the Doctor in his arms with eyes full of wonder and hope, the Master lifted his hand up in front of him and focused hard. 

He channelled his energy and life force together, twining together the separate threads and forcing them out from his chest, down his arm and into his hand until he felt the familiar burn of regeneration spread across his fingers. It instantly healed the cuts and wounds on his hand, evaporating the blood in the process with a little hiss, and spread slowly back up his arm and down the other, prickling and aching as it passed across his chest. 

Amazed at what he was doing, the Master gasped softly and cradled the Doctors head, focusing the golden stream of light and passing it into her body. One hand moved to press against her chest, linking a loop of gold, crossing from him to her, over and over.

Within moments the Doctor was gasping hard for air and fully awake in his arms. Eyes bright and more alert than they had been in days. 

“ _What?_ ” She choked, staring in shock and confusion as the Master smiled down at her, face illuminated in a golden glow emanating from his body. 

“No! _Stop!_ ” The Doctor cried, realising quickly what he was doing for her and trying to struggle in his arms, but her body was yet to cooperate with her.

“Hush now, Doctor,” the Master whispered, a smile still on his lips as he brought his mouth down to hers, sealing the connection between them with a searing kiss and gasping in sudden pain against her mouth as he felt the energy pull from him harder and start to burn deeply within his bones.

The Doctor felt herself swept under the wave, every inch of her body aching and healing in an instant. Her hearts beat strongly against her ribs and her breathing was suddenly effortless again. Her mind was clear and so very _alive_ with the life force he gave her.

Hands rising to grasp hold of the Master’s head, tugging at his hair, the Doctor found his temples and forced herself into his mind- her path made easy by their connection.

_You have to stop. Please Master, you’re killing yourself. Don’t do this. Not for me. Please._

_Its OK Doctor, this is right. This is how it is supposed to be._ The Master’s voice whispered across his mind, drifting and weak but so serenely calm. 

_Not this much, please, you’ve done enough now- you have to stop!_ The Doctor urged him desperately, searching for him within his own mind and finding him standing under a silver-topped tree, staring out across a field of brilliant red grass. The blades swayed gently in a slight breeze, twin orange suns set high in the sky shining down brightly upon them, the heat of them raising goosebumps on the Doctor’s skin.

_Please Koschei, this is enough._ The Doctor begged, using his true name and reaching out for him.

As she touched his arm the scene around them suddenly changed. They were stood inside of the academy, watching his memories of seeing her for the first time as young boys and feeling his curiosity and nerves around approaching her. She watched with wide eyes as her young self laughed and joked, impressing the Master with their intelligence and childish glee at learning new tricks and skills to show off with, and felt the deep admiration the Master had held for her at such a young age.

_Y_ _ou have always been beautiful to me, right from the first moment I met you._ The Master reminisced in a kind voice, watching the memory change to another of them together as young teens, running down back alleys in the citadel and hiding behind rubbish bins and boxes to avoid being caught skipping class.

_Koschei please, you need to focus on me now, not the past. There’s a future for us both, just waiting for you to come back to. You need to stop this and follow me. Please!_

The memory changed again, this time showing them graduating together and celebrating with their classmates, then later sneaking alcohol into their dorms and laughing drunkenly, planning their future together across the stars and promising one another to see them all.

_T_ _here is no future for me now Theta; I gave up that right when I failed you._ The Master finally turned to look at her, his eyes full of unshed tears, dark and sorrowful.

_You didn’t fail me, you never could. Look at what we are doing. Truly look._ The Doctor walked towards him and cupped his face, her fingers pressing down into his temples, forcing her mind deeper into his, wrapping around him and pulling hard.

She dragged his consciousness back to the surface and allowed him to feel what was happening.

_You’ve saved me, you did it. Now you can stop._ The Doctor pulled again, finally feeling the Master relent and slowly release his hold on her.

The Doctor separated from his mind and they cried out together as the connection broke with a sharp sting, the golden light of the Master’s regeneration energy fizzling out in an instant.

The Master slumped sideways onto the bed with a small groan, dragging the Doctor down with him in his arms. Tangled together, they made eye contact for a brief moment before the Master’s eyes rolled back in his head and he swiftly fell unconscious, the Doctor joining him moments later.

_Silence filled the room, broken only by the tiny sounds of their steady breathing..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely loved the response to the last chapter! I'm repeating myself over again but I am so, so happy people are enjoying this story. More to come! x


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Master woke slowly, feeling as though he was surfacing from under an ocean of water, pressing heaviest on his chest and head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a nice long chapter to make up for the short one before! Hope you all enjoy! ;) x

_The Master woke slowly, feeling as though he was surfacing from under an ocean of water, pressing heaviest on his chest and head._

Gasping quietly, he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings, blurry at first but soon clearing as he blinked hard several times. He could see part of a pillow and a halo of blonde hair next to him and very quickly became aware of his surroundings.

_Doctor. Was she alive? Had it worked?_

His mind raced, hearts starting to beat faster as he struggled to get his body to cooperate, attempting to sit up- his arms straining under his own weight. Once he was upright he looked down properly at the Doctor beside him and breathed a heavy sigh of relief as it was obvious she was very much alive and breathing just fine.

Lying on her side next to him, she was fast asleep, resting peacefully. Her skin was a rosy pink, a stark difference from before, and she looked healthy- normal.

Still worried however, the Master reached across to the bedside table and picked up a spare sonic, sweeping it over her quickly, scanning to see if any infection remained. He stared at the display- nothing. She was perfectly fit and simply asleep right now.

_She was alive._

_He’d saved her._

Feeling sudden tears welling up in his eyes as intense relief swept over him, the Master choked a little and forced himself to calm down. Needing to stand up, he carefully slid off the bed and stretched his legs. He felt as if he had been running up hill for several hours, or had perhaps spent a week at the gym- a familiar ache he associated with regeneration.

His stomach turned as a sudden, perhaps irrational fear swept over him. Dashing into the Doctor’s en-suite bathroom, he breathed a great sigh of relief as he saw that his appearance had not changed. He did look healthier however, and his skin was now unmarked and smoother than before- even the cut above his eyebrow had vanished, healed thanks to his regeneration energy.

He had become rather attached to his current appearance and was very glad to see that it had not changed.

Aware that he was spending too long staring into a mirror, the Master splashed water onto his face from the sink before filling up a glass and downing it quickly. Another thing he hated about regeneration- he was always so thirsty afterwards, hungry too- his stomach growled in agreement.

Hating the sight of blood on his clothing and not wanting to frighten the Doctor once she awoke, the Master hurriedly stripped and found some fresh pyjamas to put on.

Feeling comfortable and considerably fresher than before, he turned to go back into the bedroom but had a sudden thought.

Frowning in concentration, he refilled his glass with cold water and took it with him, knowing the Doctor would seek it once she woke. Smiling down at her sleeping form, the Master looped her hair behind her ears and found a blanket, tucking it in around her to keep her warm and comfortable.

His stomach rumbled again and brought hunger pains along with it. He really needed to find something to eat and he knew the Doctor would likely want something later too. Deciding to find the kitchen and prepare some food, the Master took one last long look at the Doctor before lowering the lights and heading off to discover the kitchen. He sent a silent plea to the TARDIS to keep an eye on the Doctor’s sleeping form for him and smiled as she hummed in response.

_~~~~~  
  
_

After fumbling around in the endless kitchen cupboards for a long while, trying to find something decent to eat, the Master settled on toast. Nice and simple. He would make some tea too- that was always good after regeneration. He remembered the Doctor’s tenth self chattering away about it during the year he had spent with him on the Valiant.

He suddenly felt a sickly wave of guilt wash over him at those memories and swiftly shut them away behind a sturdy door in his mind. Some things he just wasn’t ready to address yet.

The Masters hands had also begun to tremble a little and he almost spilled boiling water over himself as he poured it into the teapot.

Frustrated, he set the items down on the side and rubbed his hands together, trying to sooth the tremors. His mind was still a little sluggish which meant that his mental defences were low and every last highly emotional thought, feeling and the stresses from the past few days were now simmering dangerously beneath the surface.

The toaster to his side pinged and popped up, making him jump and curse. Frowning at the toast, he carefully buttered each slice and arranged them on a plate for him and the Doctor to share. He reached upwards into a cupboard to retrieve a couple of cups for their tea, but his hands shook once more and he dropped one, watching crossly as it fell and smashed on the floor. Kicking aside the debris carefully and successfully retrieving another cup, the Master arranged the items onto a tray and marched out of the kitchen huffing angrily to himself.

  
~~~~~  
  


The Doctor woke with a gasp, disorientated, tangled under her blanket and unable to see properly in the darkened room. She fumbled for a moment before freeing herself from her confinement and blinking as her eyes adjusted to the lack of light. She swung her hand to the bedside table instinctively and tapped her light, bringing it to life with an orangey-yellow glow that illuminated the majority of the room.

Her throat was drier than the Sahara desert so the sight of the glass of water on her bedside table was very welcome indeed.

The Doctor hurriedly drank half of it before coughing and sipping the rest. She sighed deeply in relief as her thirst was greatly lessened and the acidic taste lingering in her mouth disappeared.

Dropping the empty glass back onto the bedside table with a clunk, a wave of dizziness had the Doctor leaning back on the pillows for a moment, trying to clear her head. Still disorientated but slowly getting her memories back, she felt mild panic start to rise at the Master’s absence but was suddenly distracted by a noise in the corridor outside of her room.

The door opened and the Master walked in, carefully balancing a tray of food and what smelled to her like very sweet tea.

“Ah you’re awake!” He said happily, walking across to her bed with a relieved smile on his face.

“What happened?” The Doctor asked quietly, a mixture of giddy relief at seeing him alive and heavy dread at the implications of what he had done setting in as her memories fully returned upon seeing him; clamping around her hearts like iron shackles and making her feel sick to the pit of her stomach.

“I saved you. I gave you my regeneration energy and it healed you- I’ve checked, you’re _fine_ now. I’m fine too.” The Master spoke bluntly, pride in his tone. His eyebrow rose at her sudden shocked and almost sickened expression and he looked at her with a frown forming on his face.

“What’s wrong?” The Master questioned with a sudden edge of worry in his voice, placing the tray he had prepared onto a side table before perching on the edge of the bed beside her.

“What’s wrong? What’s _wrong!?_ ” The Doctor repeated, her voice rising, eyes wide with disbelief, “You- Why? Why would you waste that on me? You went too far. If I hadn’t have dragged you back- How _dare_ you think that was ok! Regeneration is precious, it’s _finite_. Once you waste it, it’s gone. You gave up part of your future for me! _Why?_ I don’t want that burden. I don’t _understand_ _?_ ” The Doctor yelled at him, tears in her eyes, her fists clenched tightly as she shook in anger and despair at the sudden intensity of her emotions.

“Don’t you _dare_ lecture me,” the Master suddenly growled, temper snapping and filling him quickly with a ferocious fire as everything beneath the surface of his mind came bubbling to the top. “ _Why_ did I save you? Why do you think! You think I had a choice? You stupid, ungrateful _BITCH!_ ” The Master spat, abruptly moving towards her on the bed, anger fuelling his motions.

The Doctor stopped his approach by slapping him hard, knocking his head to the side violently, her eyes alight with fury. She tried to scramble away from him and get out of the bed but he was too fast for her.

The Master growled, launching forward and flipping her onto her back. He straddled her waist and pinned her arms above her head with both hands, leaning his weight onto them so that she could not escape. 

The Doctor glared and tried to struggle, “Get off me!” She shouted; her body writhing uselessly beneath his, still weak from the night before and unable to throw him off.

He twined his legs with hers, fully trapping her beneath him and pressed tightly down against her as he glared at the Doctor in rage, his face coming so close to hers that she could feel his panting breath, hot against her skin.

“ _NO!_ You’ll listen to me and you’ll listen _hard_ Doctor!” He growled, eyes wild and mouth trembling as he tried desperately to control his anger and reign back in the fire that had erupted from him, “I didn’t have a choice. You took us to that _stupid_ rock in the first place. Your clumsiness got us into that ridiculous situation. I tried so hard keeping you alive. So _damn_ hard! I held you, tended to your wounds, stopped your seizures, and guided you through your nightmares. I’ve spent days trying to find a cure. Countless _hours_ _.._.”

He paused for a moment to draw in a heavy lungful of air, his eyes full of hurt and torment and unshed tears. “I gave up caring about myself and focused only on you. On _YOU!_ I didn’t really know why to begin with, I should’ve left you to regenerate. Waste another of your lives for a useless cause. And even if you didn’t regenerate- I still _should have left_. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t! I used to have so little mercy but your previous self saw to changing that didn’t he? And then you came back and created something new in me. Opened up doors I’ve tried for centuries to keep shut behind lock and key, and I had. _No. C_ _hoice._ No choice, Doctor. I couldn’t leave you. It would have broken me to let you die. I’d have rather ripped my still-beating hearts from my own chest than have you die in my arms. And it’s your entire fault that I have to feel this way, _I-oof!_ ”

The Doctor had suddenly leaned her head upwards, her mouth latching on to his in a desperate kiss, cutting off his impassioned words.

Instantly his mind emptied and all he could think about was _her._

Her soft lips upon his own, warm body still and pliant beneath him... Her touch was a wave of freezing cold water, flooding and dampening the intense flames of his wrath. His hands loosened on her wrists and slid down her arms and across the bed to support his body above her, no longer wanting to press his weight down against her to hurt her. He cupped her jaw gently and deepened the kiss with a soft moan. 

The tears in his eyes finally started to fall as he kissed her passionately, desperately. His temper vanishing completely and being replaced by an intense need for her that filled every corner of his mind, shooting down every nerve like electric sparks. His hearts pounded hard in his chest as he worshipped her mouth, vaguely aware of her body instinctively arching up to meet his, her arms wrapping around him.

They rolled onto their sides, facing one another and still tangled up together in a tight embrace.

The Doctor kissed him just as intensely, her hands on his face and sliding through his soft hair, holding his head close and rubbing her fingers gently against his skull.

They kissed fervently for a long while, gradually slowing down as the initial desperation lessened, savouring each other’s mouths, tangling their tongues together with soft moans.

As the Master finally drew back slowly from her; he looked across at her face properly and felt his hearts flutter as her eyes, now so full of love and care for him, locked with his.

“Thank you,” the Doctor spoke softly, a hand moving to cup his face, fingers scratching gently across his beard. “I’m sorry I hurt you, I know you’ve been through hell and back for me. I’m so sorry.”

The Master closed his eyes as more tears formed. The intense emotions that he had been suppressing for the past few days were starting to overwhelm him. 

The Doctor stroked his face and trailed her fingers back up to his temple, asking permission without words to meet his mind. 

_Contact_ _  
_

_Contact_

Like a tap being turned on full blast, a rush of love, thankfulness, vulnerability, admiration, appreciation and acceptance flowed from the Doctor’s mind to the Master’s. Flooding his senses and wrapping around his mind like a warm embrace. He replied with the same emotions and feelings of pride and protection, a need to be with her and the truth of the desperation he felt at the thought of losing her.

The Master gasped, unable to breathe under the weight of it and opened his eyes, tears flowing freely, matching those now falling from the Doctor’s eyes. 

His mouth found hers once more in a frantic kiss, the pair of them crying quietly as they felt the relief of sharing their minds and lifting the burden of their mutual emotions.

The Master cuddled her even closer to him, holding her tightly as his mouth met and explored her own once more with an urgency he did not think he could completely quell for a second time.

Eventually they were forced to break away for air and the Doctor gave him a watery smile. 

Unable to speak, the Master smiled back before stroking a hand through her hair and trailing his fingers down her back, studying her face intensely, saving every detail to his mind.

“Thank you,” he eventually whispered, still feeling her mind intertwined with his and shivering at the sensations as she sent pulses of pleasure and love across the connection.

They lay together for a little while longer, content to just watch one another and bounce pleasing sensations between each other’s minds. Both enjoying the intimacy and tenderly stoking each other’s building flames of arousal.

The Doctor eventually broke the silence, “Did you actually make breakfast?” She asked with a bright grin lighting up her face, causing dimples to appear in her cheeks.

The Master gave her a mock affronted look for a moment before cracking up and laughing loudly, “I _can_ do domestic sometimes you know!” He insisted, leaning in and kissing her tenderly.

Moaning softly against his lips, she felt his pleasure matching her own in their joined minds. The Doctor smirked at him as he pulled away breathless, “Well I’m not particularly hungry, but I’d really like a bath,” she stated, a wry smile crossing her face as the Master grinned.

Together, they carefully detangled their bodies and then their minds, almost reluctant to retreat back in to their own heads. Their hands reached out for contact the moment they were fully separated and the Master supported the Doctor as she stood up out of bed.

The Doctor wobbled a little on her feet so the Master quickly wrapped his arms around her, holding her carefully as they slowly walked towards her bathroom door.

“Feeling ok?” The Master asked, smiling affectionately at the look of determination on the Doctor’s face as she walked with him into the en-suite.

“Just a bit shaky, but then I can’t remember the last time I walked.” The Doctor replied with a sad smile, sitting down on the closed toilet lid as the Master moved over to start the bath running, dumping a generous amount of her favourite bubble bath into it too.

“I just want to feel clean and back to normal right now,” the Doctor admitted, staring down at her bare legs and scrunching her nose up at the brace still around her foot. She moved to take it off but the Master was crouched at her feet in an instant, gently un-strapping the bandages. His hands rested on her leg for a moment once the brace was gone, before impulsively stroking her skin with his finger tips over where she had injured it originally. A shiver passed through the Doctor as she watched him with heat building in her eyes.

He looked up at her and gasped at the intensity of her gaze. Wetting his lips, he dropped his eyes to her mouth and leaned up to meet her as she tilted herself forwards to capture him in another deep kiss.

Her hand found his shirt and tugged, trying to remove it as the Master knelt upwards properly, his hands wrapping around her waist. He broke the kiss after a little while and smiled at her, “As much as I want this- because believe me, I really do- your bath is about to overflow.”

The Doctor laughed and sat back as he stood and dashed over to the tub to turn the water off, dipping his hand in past the mound of bubbles that had grown to test the temperature and smiling to himself in satisfaction as he found it to be perfect.

“Join me?” The Doctor asked carefully, watching as he swallowed hard before turning around properly to look at her.

“Are you sure?” The Master asked, wanting to be certain of where this might be headed.

“Yes.” The Doctor said seriously before looking him up and down with a smile growing across her face, “Besides, you can wash my hair,” she teased, breaking the sudden tension with a giggle.

The Master rolled his eyes and walked over to her, a smirk playing about his lips. His hands found hers and he helped her to stand.

Despite her bravado, the Doctor hesitated as she moved to take off her nightie. Noticing her sudden nervousness, the Master quickly removed his own shirt first, enjoying watching her eyes widen and an appreciative look cross over her face.

“I suppose you’ve already seen me naked,” the Doctor shrugged, lifting her nightie over her head and gasping loudly as the Master suddenly swooped forwards and boldly kissed her chest, right between her breasts.

Dropping her nightie quickly to the floor, the Doctor slid her hands into his hair with a moan as he kissed a trail across her collarbone and up the side of her neck.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered into her ear, arms circling around her and pulling her close so that she could feel his bare skin against hers for the first time.

The Doctor wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, sighing softly into his shoulder as she felt their hearts beating hard in tandem between them. She traced her fingers up the smooth skin of his back and felt him shiver against her, his head tucking in against her neck, hands splaying out across her lower back to mirror her actions tracing lightly over where her injury had been.

They stood together, caressing one another silently in a tender embrace, neither caring to move or do anything else then be close to one another.

“I thought I’d lost you, you know?” The Master murmured into her skin, feeling her tense slightly before her arms gripped him a little tighter.

“You didn’t. You saved me.” She whispered back, looking up and kissing his cheek, “Come on- better not let my bath get cold?”

The Master sighed softly and released her, stepping back and bending to remove his trousers, sneaking a look at her as she slid her underwear down her legs. He was well on the way to being half hard and totally unashamed when he stood up straight, dumping his trousers into a hamper beside the sink. The Doctor’s mouth opened a little at the sight of him and he smiled arrogantly at her, mimicking her by casting his eyes admiringly up and down her body. 

Offering his hand out, the Master helped her climb into the bath and settle comfortably within the bubbles, before sliding in opposite her and moaning happily at the warm water. The bath was huge and could easily accommodate several people; it was also deep enough so that the water submerged the pair of them up to their chests.

The Doctor gave an answering sigh of pleasure and closed her eyes, stretching her legs out in the water, enjoying the bubbles tickling across her skin.

The Master was content to watch her float in the bath for a little while, relaxing with her as the heat from the water penetrated deep into his muscles, soothing any residual aches from before.

A foot drifted near him and he reached out to grasp it, suddenly moving closer to her, sloshing the water about a little before he settled in to start massaging her skin.

The Doctor gasped and gripped hold of the side of the bath, tilting her head back in pleasure as his fingers rubbed expertly into the sole of her foot. “That feels amazing,” she moaned, flexing her toes in his hands as he worked.

Satisfied he had loosened the tension in her foot and ankle, the Master picked up the other one and started over. He grinned as she moaned louder, pressing into his hands with her foot, her other finding his thigh and resting there for a moment, tantalisingly close to his crotch.

Reducing the Doctor to jelly with his ministrations, the Master suddenly grinned and tugged her forwards, laughing as her head dunked under the water for a moment. She re-emerged quickly, flailing and spitting water at him, growling, “What did you do that for?”

“Well, you did want me to wash your hair,” he supplied, covering his face as she swept an armful of bubbles and water at him in retaliation before laughing along with him.

“Alright, come here then,” he ordered, reaching out of the bath to grab a bottle of shampoo and moving back to the edge of the tub so that she could sit closer. He arranged her comfortably between his legs and unhooked a shower attachment from the taps.

The Doctor tipped her head back with a soft moan as he started to wash her hair, running the hot shower water over her head and carding his fingers through her blonde locks, dragging his nails wonderfully against her scalp. He applied the shampoo and washed her hair thoroughly until it made the satisfying squeak noises he so enjoyed.

Once the Master was finished, the Doctor turned around and pulled him in for a kiss, “Thank you,” she said softly, sighing in pleasure as his hands caressed her shoulders and encouraged her forwards onto his lap.

The Doctor’s eyes widened as she felt his cock press up against her stomach, fully erect and hot between their bodies, even beneath the water. “Enjoyed that just as much as I did then?” She teased, deliberately thrusting her hips forward so that the length of him rubbed against her skin.

The Master moaned softly and kissed along her collarbone, his hands caressing her ribs and across her stomach. “Such a tease,” he murmured, gasping against her neck as her hand slid in between them and caressed him gently under the water. He could feel her arousal getting stronger on the edges of his mind and reaching out a little, he stroked her mind and felt their connection spark.

The Doctor moaned as she felt him against her mind and sent a pulse of pleasure and arousal to him, making him shiver and groan her name.

“If you keep doing that, this will end prematurely,” he gasped, thrusting up against her hand and returning the wave of pleasure between their minds.

The Doctor grasped his hand and dragged it up to her chest, encouraging him to touch her breasts and he willingly obliged. They locked lips once more and kissed each other passionately as their hands wandered and stroked one another.

Feeling the Doctor trembling with need, the Master slid his hand down her navel and stroked between her legs, his fingers finding and rubbing against her clit.

The Doctor cried out and jerked against him, her hands sliding into his hair and tugging his head to hers so she could kiss him fervently in response. The Master’s hand worked her furiously, ramping up her arousal and pleasure until she was shaking in his lap, teetering on the edge of orgasm and thrusting hard onto his fingers.

“ _Please,_ ” she gasped, moaning loudly as his lips found one of her breasts and nipped at her skin, kissing down to her nipple and biting it gently. It was just enough to tip her over and she came hard around his fingers, shrieking his name and shuddering against him.

The Master continued to stroke her through her orgasm, dragging it out whilst enjoying her gasping moans and cries of his name. He supported her as she suddenly pitched forwards, slumping against his chest, twitching and utterly boneless from her pleasure. Carefully removing his hand he wrapped his arms around her and held her as she recovered.

The Doctor roused a couple of minutes later, kissing his shoulder and sitting back on his thighs to caress his chest and ribs, her hands trailing down under the water to his cock, intent on returning the favour.

The Master moaned as she grasped him, stroking him from root to tip in a deliciously tight grip. His hips thrust upwards into her hands, bouncing her a little on his thighs as the bath water sloshed around them. It didn’t take long before he felt his orgasm building and a quick twist of her wrist had him coming hard with a shout of her name.

“Oh that was fun,” he gasped, shivering in satisfaction and grinning at her as she rolled her eyes and leaned in to kiss him softly.

“Come on, let’s finish up here before we turn into prunes,” the Doctor teased, lifting off from his lap and grabbing a couple of wash cloths and shower gel.

The Doctor made quick work of washing them both thoroughly, paying special attention to all the areas that made the Master gasp and moan. By the time the plug had been pulled and they were climbing out of the bath to find towels, the Master was fully erect again.

Laughing as he struggled to wrap a towel around himself, the Doctor picked up another and helped him dry his hair, deliberately fluffing it up in the process. He returned in kind, enjoying her indignation as he ruffled her hair as much as possible before combing it properly and tucking it behind her ears.

Together they padded back into her bedroom and ditched their towels onto the floor the moment they were beside the bed.

The Master pulled her close and kissed her soundly, his lips and tongue exploring her mouth with a growing urgency. He tugged her down onto the bed with him and arranged himself over her, kissing and sucking at her neck whilst his hands started to explore her body once more.

The Doctor moaned and writhed beneath him but then her hand came up to press against his chest, her face suddenly pinched, nervousness in her eyes once more.

The Master frowned softly, “We don’t have to, you know? Just say and I’ll stop?”

“No it’s not that, I-“ the Doctor paused, blushing and embarrassed.

“You haven’t yet, have you?” The Master supplied, understanding immediately and smiling gently.

“Not in this body, no. Not with anyone.” The Doctor admitted, watching his face as a tiny smug smirk appeared on his lips. She rolled her eyes and drew him back in for a kiss, hands threading through his hair as he slid off from on top of her and cuddled against her side instead.  
  
His hands caressed her body and his lips found her neck and chest, exploring all the areas that made her sigh and moan in pleasure.  
  
“You were Missy’s first, you know?” The Master said quietly a little while later, grinning as he enjoyed her shocked gasp and incredulous look in response. 

“You should have said something!” The Doctor admonished, moaning softly at his mouth now back on her neck.

“Where’s the fun in that?” He laughed, making his way down her collarbone. “Let me make you feel really good,” the Master purred, kissing a line down between her breasts and enjoying the full body shiver that caused her.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor moaned softly and watched with hooded eyes as the Master moved back between her legs and steadily made his way down her body...

The Doctor moaned softly and watched with hooded eyes as the Master moved back between her legs and steadily made his way down her body, kissing and sucking at different parts of her skin raising goosebumps and sending shivers of pleasure through every nerve ending.

He paused as he reached her navel and deliberately licked a line across the sensitive skin below her belly button, grinning as her muscles contracted under his mouth.

The Master gave an appreciative moan as her legs widened instinctively for him, and kissed her thighs, teasing her by avoiding where she really wanted his mouth to go. He gently bit and sucked the flesh of her inner leg and deliberately left a mark, enjoying as the Doctor writhed beneath him.

“You’re so wet already,” the Master purred, stroking a finger up between her folds, gathering the moisture and then slipping it slowly into his mouth, watching as the Doctor gasped and panted, her eyes darkening with lust as she followed his movements.

He maintained eye contact with her as he brought his mouth closer; enjoying seeing her body tremble in anticipation and her hands gripping hold of the bed covers.

The Doctor cried out his name as he gave in to her and finally dragged his tongue over her core. The Master wrapped an arm over her waist to hold her thrusting hips down, and used his free hand to stroke over her skin, parting her folds so that he could delve deeper, exploring the Doctor with his mouth.

Moaning continuously and shuddering beneath him, the Doctor threw her head back into her pillows, one hand reaching down to hold onto his head, tangling her fingers through his hair and pulling gently on the silky strands. Her other hand reached up and pinched at her right nipple, tugging it a little for extra stimulation as the Master worked her up into a frenzy.

The Master moaned against her, his voice vibrating against her skin and sending shocks of pleasure coiling into her belly. Her legs wrapped around his head and over his shoulders and she jolted hard as his tongue flicked and rubbed at her clit, his lips sealing around it and sucking lightly.

“Oh god _, Koschei,_ ” the Doctor cried and moaned, her orgasm building incredibly fast, brought to the edge in minutes by only his talented mouth.

All it took was for the Master to breach her slowly with a single finger whilst scraping his teeth lightly over the hood of her clit and she was coming hard, her body clenching and twitching around his questing digit. He rode out her orgasm with her, continuing to lick and suck at her and thrust his finger in and out until she was over-sensitive and trying to push his head away.

Smirking, he gave her one last lick before looking up at her panting face and admiring how beautiful she was, trembling and flushed because of her orgasm. His expression must have shown his inner thoughts because in the next moment the Doctor was encouraging him upwards over her body and capturing him in a deep, passionate kiss.

Moaning into his mouth and chasing the taste of herself on his tongue, the Doctor’s hands quested down his back and cheekily squeezed his firm arse cheeks, giggling as he gave a muffled squeak in response.

The Master grinned against her mouth and lowered himself down onto her properly, coming to rest pressed snugly against her from chest to groin. His thick cock was hard and twitching against the soft skin of her belly but he made no move to address it, focusing instead on kissing and biting at her neck.

The Doctor’s hands dug into his hair, pulling and scratching against his scalp as he left red marks all over her skin with his lips and teeth.

“You’re so beautiful,” the Master whispered, leaning up to catch her gaze, smiling as he saw her shiver in reply. Her hands stroked his face and she drew him in for a hot kiss, moaning his name softly against his lips.

The Master’s hips started to cant against her slowly, dragging his cock wetly across her skin as he kissed and bit at her lips.

The Doctor moved her legs up to wrap around his hips, encouraging him down into position but the Master had other ideas. Smirking at her he detangled her limbs from him and shifted over to her side once more.

“Lay on your side with your back facing me,” he ordered gently, his hands stroking her smooth skin as she did as he requested. 

The Doctor felt his warm breath tickling the tiny hairs on the back of her neck as the Master nuzzled against her, tucking in closely. His left arm slid around her, tucking up underneath her breasts as he pulled her even tighter to him, holding her against his chest and spooning his hot body around the length of hers. She shivered in delight as he whispered her name and pressed his lips to the soft skin underneath her ear.

The Master’s hand trailed upwards across her chest, finding each nipple in turn and playing with them, pinching them to full hardness. The Doctor moaned softly, her arousal building again rapidly as he toyed with her.

She could feel his cock pressing hot and hard against her backside, his hips instinctively starting to move against her once more.

" _Koschei_ ," the Doctor gasped suddenly as his fingers dropped down to her belly, and then even lower, caressing through the soft curls at her navel. He toyed with her for a long moment, ramping her anticipation up and teasing her by refusing to move any lower.

The Doctor could feel both arousal and frustration starting to take over- despite already having some amazing orgasms she wanted- no, _needed_ more from him, but wasn't able to get it. Her body clenched around nothing, trembling and now desperate to be filled and taken by him.

She could feel him smile against her neck moments before his hand moved back up to her hip, causing her to groan in dissatisfaction.

But that was thankfully short lived as she felt him shifting his position behind her.

Her left hand gripped hold of the bed covers tightly as she felt the slick tip of his cock slip between her thighs. He thrust gently against her and sighed into her hair as the length of his cock slid upwards, between her labia, stroking her all the way along her soaking wet slit, right up to her clit.

After a few more shallow thrusts, the Doctor squirmed against him wanting more, her legs widening a little to give him more room. The Master ignored her protests, pressing tighter against her and continuing to tease her with his unhurried movements.

He nestled the head of his cock up against her clit and rotated his hips, rubbing himself in a circular motion against her sensitive bundle of nerves. The Doctor moaned his name, one hand still gripping the bed sheets, the other finding his hand above their heads and grasping it firmly.

The Master continued to torment her, eliciting whimpers and moans from the Doctor as her pleasure built.

“Koschei, _please,_ ” the Doctor gasped, arching her hips back to his groin, writhing against him, aching and begging him for more. Her hearts pounded in her chest and she could feel his beating just as hard against her back.

The Master let go of her hand and slid both of his arms across her body, curling around her middle, his fingers tickling along her ribs. One hand pressed against her belly and held her still whilst the other finally delved down lower, sliding between her legs.

The Doctor gasped and moaned loudly as his fingers found her clit, circling firmly around it whilst thrusting his cock up against her slowly. Not knowing what to do with her hands, she reached one back to grab hold of his head as he kissed her neck and panted against her skin. Her other slid down to grip the arm he had around her stomach, needing an anchor as he continued his steady and wonderful torment of her.

Not quite happy with the position he had her in; the Master surprised the Doctor by suddenly rolling onto his back, dragging her with him so that she lay on top of him with her back to his chest. Raising his knees, he spread the Doctor’s legs wide and thrust upwards with his hips. They both groaned at the new angle and how the Master’s cock slid perfectly between her folds.

The Doctor’s head dropped back over his shoulder with a gasp as his fingers returned to her clit, massaging her expertly as his cock dragged against her with every movement of his hips. His free hand found her breasts once more and pinched and tweaked her nipples, knowing it was heightening the intensity of her pleasure and building her up towards a fantastic orgasm.

“I want you to come over me,” the Master whispered lustily into her ear, moaning deeply and thrusting up against her harder. He rubbed his fingers firmly against either side of her clit, almost pinching it between his digits and grinned as she convulsed on top of him with a small cry.

The Doctor’s hands scrabbled for his arms and dug her nails into his skin as she came hard, her body tensing and jerking on top of his.

Moaning as he felt her dampen his cock with her release; the Master thrust up against her faster, his own need for release now becoming much harder to ignore.

The Doctor was still in the throes of her intense orgasm when the Master suddenly flipped her onto her front and hurriedly lay down on top of her. He shifted her legs apart carefully and using his hand to guide, slowly started to sink his cock into her. The Doctor shrieked, grabbing hold of the bedding beside her and thrusting her body up to meet him. She was incredibly tight still but so wet and delirious from her pleasure that he entered her effortlessly.

The Master gave a guttural moan and panted hard into her shoulder as he bottomed out. He paused for a moment, just laying on top of her and shivering in intense pleasure as she writhed beneath him trying to get used to the new sensations of being stretched and full. His hands found hers and he clasped them tightly together, his mouth moved to her neck and bit down gently before soothing the skin with his tongue.

“You ok?” He gasped breathlessly, overcome with pleasure and the building desperation to just _thrust_ but holding back as he didn’t want to hurt the Doctor.

The Doctor moaned in reply, unable to talk, and tilted her hips a little, crying out in pleasure as the Master moved impossibly deeper inside of her. Her entire body shuddered and he felt her clenching tighter around his cock.

The Doctor was breathless and riding waves of incredible pleasure, already getting used to the feel of his hard cock deep inside of her and relishing in the slight burn from his considerable girth stretching her.

The Master choked and moaned her name roughly, his hips jerking a little at the intense friction. His hands held hers tightly as he raised his hips, pulling out from her half way before sinking back in slowly. His chest was pressed flat against her back; groans of pleasure vibrating through him so hard the Doctor felt an echo in her own chest.

“Oh god, Koschei, _yes..._ Keep doing that,” the Doctor breathed, utterly overwhelmed by him and tumbling towards another major orgasm so fast she could hardly think.

The Master growled and started to thrust a little faster, angling so that his cock dragged along every sensitive part of her and relishing in the cries of pleasure she gave him in return.

He suddenly knelt upright, hands lifting her hips up and urging her onto her knees and to spread her legs wider. Her upper body remained pressed to the bed as one of the Master’s hands braced between her shoulder blades; his other held her hip tightly as he started to thrust hard.

The Doctor shrieked at the new angle and grabbed hold of the pillow beneath her head with shaking hands, sinking her teeth into the soft fabric as the Master started to fuck her in earnest.

It took less than a dozen rough thrusts of his hips before the Doctor was crying out in orgasm once more, her chest heaving as he fucked her through it, starting to chase his own orgasm as pleasure rippled up his spine and coiled around his cock. His hand moved between her legs and found her clit, rubbing it quickly and firmly, dragging her into yet another orgasm before she could catch her breath, this time it was even stronger than the last.

The Doctor buckled beneath him, unable to keep herself upright as she rode the continuous waves of exquisite pleasure, over and over. She shrieked and yelled his name, her hearts beating so hard against her chest she felt as though they might break free from her body. He continued to fuck her, holding her writhing body up to meet his as he snapped his hips into her.

“Koschei... oh my _god,_ ” the Doctor cried out, incoherent and going wild beneath him.

The Master’s thrusts started to falter as he came closer and closer to the edge. His hands gripped her hips hard enough to bruise and he fucked her so roughly their bodies slapped loudly against one another.

“Oh, _oh-_ Theta! _Fuck!_ ” The Master suddenly roared, shuddering and bucking hard as he finally came. His vision whited out for a moment and he could hardly breathe as he experienced the strongest orgasm of his lives. He could feel her quivering and clenching hard around him as she experienced aftershocks of pleasure, dragging his own out much longer.

Eventually the Master stilled and pulled out from her carefully, both of them over-stimulated and barely able to breathe properly. He flopped down to her side, encouraging her over into his arms and cuddling her close to his panting chest.

“That was- I-“ the Doctor tried to talk but failed, still blissed out from pleasure and struggling to string two thoughts together.

The Master chuckled and kissed her sweaty forehead, smiling down at her in his arms as he slowly started to calm his racing hearts and relax. They laid together in silence for a while enjoying the intimacy of each other’s embrace as they held on to one another closely.

The Doctor’s head was against his chest and she could hear his hearts beating strongly beneath her ear. She moved in his arms to press a gentle kiss to his sweaty skin and smiled when he sighed softly and stroked her back and shoulders with his hands.

The Master drew her upwards for a tender kiss and slid his hand into her hair, his fingers stroking against her temple, asking for permission.

_Contact_   
  
_Contact_

The Doctor felt a rush of intense emotions through their bond and his voice whispered across her mind.

_I love you_

Kissing him deeply the Doctor felt tears prickle the corners of her eyes as she responded in kind.

_I love you too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nearing the end guys! Just one more chapter to go! Thank you to everyone who has stuck by this fic and posted such lovely comments so far! Really makes my day seeing them all. x


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I wish this didn’t have to end,” the Doctor said solemnly, running the tips of her fingers up and down the Master’s arm as he cradled her to his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, at the end! I hope you've enjoyed this! I've never focused so intensely on writing a fic before. I wrote this over 13 days and it occupied my head every day, even whilst at work. 
> 
> I have to say huge thanks to Zaffrin and Samosevie for encouraging me to finish this, giving amazing responses to each chapter I sent them previews of, and basically cheer-leading me the entire time! It's thanks to them I have the motivation to write now! I've got so many ideas in my head, just need to order them and start writing more!

_The Doctor and the Master fell into an almost domestic routine for several days together on the TARDIS._

_After taking off from the planet and returning to the vortex, neither of them were particularly interested in landing anywhere, and the Doctor had not even thought of returning to earth for her friends._  
  


They sat together quietly in the TARDIS library one evening, huddled up in their pyjamas on a sofa in front of a huge fireplace, just content to enjoy its warmth and the closeness of each other’s bodies.

“I wish this didn’t have to end,” the Doctor said solemnly, running the tips of her fingers up and down the Master’s arm as he cradled her to his chest.

“I know, but we both know this won’t last. We walk on different paths Doctor and there’s people waiting for you and your help.” The Master gazed down at her sadly and saw her equally unhappy expression, “It doesn’t mean that we will not cross paths again- neither of us can ever _quite_ keep away can we?” He smiled and dipped his head to kiss her soundly, moaning softly as her hand came up to cup his jaw, fingers stroking along his stubble.

Their kiss quickly became heated and the Doctor moved to straddle his lap, moaning against his mouth as he deepened the kiss.

The Master’s arms curled around her as she explored his mouth, tasting his tongue with her own and running it along the roof of his mouth and the backs of his teeth. Her hands dragged down his chest and up underneath his t-shirt, caressing him with gentle fingers and tracing intricate patterns into his warm skin.

The Doctor ground her hips against his lap and shivered when his hands found her waist, mirroring her by exploring underneath her pyjama top and moving up to cup and squeeze her breasts before sliding down to hold on to her hips.

The Master felt himself grow erect quickly underneath her writhing body and gasped as one of her hands dropped down to the waistband of his pyjama trousers and slid inside.

Curling her hand around his hard, already weeping cock, the Doctor started to stroke him gently as she trailed kisses down his neck, enjoying the moans and soft whispers of her name falling from the Master’s lips.

“That feels so good Theta,” the Master groaned, his hips thrusting up into her hand, rocking her on his thighs as she remained on top of him.

Feeling herself become wetter and starting to ache for him as her arousal spiked, the Doctor encouraged his hands back up to her chest once more, moaning as his fingers pinched at her nipples beneath her top. “I _want_ you, Koschei,” the Doctor whispered, leaning forward to capture his mouth once more in a searing kiss.

The Master groaned and immediately started to pull her trousers down, his desire tipping over into impatience, making the Doctor giggle against his lips.

Together they managed to remove her trousers and underwear and pull his own down past his knees so that pair of them were bare from the waist down. Neither of them bothered to remove their t-shirts, both too far gone in their desire and lust for one another to want to waste time in doing so.

The Doctor straddled him once more and reached down to hold him in position before slowly sinking onto his cock, her legs trembling as he stretched and filled her in one continuous movement.

The Master groaned and held onto her hip, his other arm wrapping around her back to support her, toes curling into the carpet beneath his feet as he felt her tight and wet around him. His mouth found her neck and he sucked hard at the soft skin, raising a mark and causing her to clench around him with a low moan. He gave her a moment to get used to him before catching her in a kiss and thrusting upwards, bouncing the Doctor on his lap and causing her to squeal.

“You lead this Theta, I’m with you.” The Master purred, stilling his hips, his hands cupping her own and supporting her as she shivered against him.

The Doctor’s hands found his shoulders and she gripped hold firmly, bracing herself as she started to move her body, riding him slowly. The Doctor moaned and panted as the Master’s thick cock slid in and out of her, angling her hips so that he rubbed up against all of the spots that sparked stars behind her eyes.

The Master groaned deeply as he felt her tightening around him, his pleasure building as she rode him steadily. Her forehead came forwards to rest against his own and he panted hotly against her lips, eyes closed as he enjoyed the sensations of the Doctor fucking him at her own pace.

“So good Theta, so good,” the Master whispered in encouragement, moaning as she started to move faster, her thighs trembling with the effort.

The Doctor moved her head to the side and kissed the soft skin behind his ear, her hands dragging through his hair as she tilted his head back for access to his neck. Her mouth found his pulse point and she bit gently, sucking at him hard enough to leave a mark but not breaking the skin.

The Master growled and bucked up into her, his fingers digging into her hip blades as he felt a rush of pleasure shoot down his spine and into his cock. Her mouth found a new spot on his neck and left another achingly delicious mark, deliberately provoking him so that he continued to jerk his hips upwards, despite him trying very hard to let her control the pace.

“Go on- _it’s ok,_ you can fuck me,” the Doctor purred deeply, shocking him with her language and making his eyes roll back for a moment with a gasp as another wave of intense pleasure rolled over him. This time it came from her mind too, stroking up against the edges of his own like a feline wanting attention. He allowed her access and immediately felt the rush of lust and passionate desire from her wrap around every one of his senses as their minds joined together as one.

His moans rumbling deep in his chest, the Master started to fuck her in earnest, hips snapping up against her and jolting her in his lap.

The Doctor held onto him tightly, shrieking in joy and pleasure, moaning his name over and over as he drove her quickly towards orgasm.

It didn’t take long before they were both crying out as they tipped over the edge and came hard together, gathering each other close as they rode out the shock-waves of pleasure in both their bodies and their minds. The Master continued to fuck her through her orgasm, panting and groaning at the effort but so wrapped up in pleasure that he could not stop.

He found the Doctor’s mouth and kissed her hard, his teeth nipping against her lips and tongue exploring her mouth. They dragged out each of their pleasure by creating a feedback loop of sensation between their minds, sending it back and forth, over and over. His hand dove between them and found her clit, circling it hard with his thumb and gasping as she quivered and clenched around his already sensitive cock.

The Doctor rapidly fell into a second orgasm, keening loudly in pleasure, her hips grinding down against his own as he continued to fuck her, ignoring the burn in his legs and chasing his own orgasm.

All it took was for her to pinch at his nipples through his shirt and the Master was shouting her name as he came for a second time, even harder than the first. His vision whited out and the connection between their minds broke as he felt her slump forwards onto him in exhaustion.

Breathing hard and trying to control his racing hearts, the Master held the Doctor close in his arms for a long moment. The pair of them just focusing on calming their breathing and shivering as tiny aftershocks of pleasure tingled between their bodies. Their minds tentatively reached out for one another again, but this time they were both quiet and calm with bliss, moulding together easily in a warm embrace.

The Master’s hands stroked the Doctor’s back tenderly, smiling as she leaned up to find his mouth and give him a soft kiss.

“You’re beautiful,” he cooed, watching as her eyes shined and a brilliant smile lit up her face.

Reluctantly, he lifted her from his lap and pulled a face as his now flaccid cock slipped wetly from her body, “We should shower,” he chuckled, grinning at their equally sweaty and dishevelled appearances and rising up from the sofa with a grunt.

The Doctor hummed in agreement and allowed him to help her stand, her legs shaking a little as she found her balance, body still wrung out from pleasure.

The Master kissed her temple before wrapping his arm around her, and together they headed off to find the nearest bathroom.

~~~~~

A long while later, two freshly cleaned and neatly dressed Time Lords stood side by side in the console room, working the controls and plugging in Earth, 21st century as their destination.

The Master had left his TARDIS near Yaz’s flat when they had first met up, making it easier for the Doctor to find her way back to.

The Doctor selfishly did not want him to leave, but she knew in her hearts that they could not keep up this act of domesticity for much longer- it just wasn’t _them_.

The TARDIS engines groaned and whined as they landed with a solid thump, a noise the Doctor used to love- but right now it felt like the ending of something precious. She shook herself, wringing her hands and staring down at her feet for a moment before looking back up as the Master started to walk away from her.

“I guess this is goodbye,” the Master said sombrely, walking down towards the TARDIS doors with the Doctor close at his side and opening them cautiously, staring out at the quiet but unusually sunny Sheffield street they had landed on.

The Doctor suddenly gripped his jacket and tugged him back towards her for a kiss, unwilling to let him leave the TARDIS just yet. Her hands cupped his face gently as she deepened their kiss, trying hard not to show her sudden anxiety at the reality of him leaving. His arms wrapped around her tenderly and he leaned back against the doorframe, holding her close to his chest.

They kissed for a long while, ignoring the fact that they were stood in the open doorway of the TARDIS where anybody could come across them.

Eventually however, it was truly time for them to part. “You’ll see me again Doctor,” the Master promised, whispering against her lips as he withdrew from their embrace, leaning back to give her a wink and a cheeky smile, “Besides, I rather miss our cat and mouse games across the stars!” He laughed as he stepped out of her TARDIS and headed down the path towards his own.

The Doctor rolled her eyes and watched fondly as he skipped across to his TARDIS, disappearing inside of it after a quick glance back at her with a warm grin lighting up his face.

Absently, she wondered how long his good mood would last before his temper rose its ugly head and he was back to destroying the universe once more. The Master’s TARDIS faded away from her with a groan of its engines and she was left feeling a little cold.

Her phone beeped in her pocket and a quick glance at the screen told her that her companions were waiting in the flat above for her.

Smiling softly at the sky and feeling her hearts soar with renewed hope and building excitement, the Doctor closed the TARDIS doors behind her and headed over to the tower block, determined to enjoy her time with her friends and to hopefully stay out of trouble for a little while...

_Until she saw the Master again, of course._


	11. A beautiful gift.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an absolutely gorgeous gifset created by my wonderful friend Samosevie for this fic. I love it so much I keep watching it. She's captured every aspect of the story so beautifully for me.

**An Unlikely Doctor**

_As told in nine beautiful images._

Please go and show her some love here: [Samosevie Tumblr](https://thirsters.tumblr.com/)


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